Tarantella (2021)

This Tarantella is more a rhapsody on a tarantella.  It was written in exploration of my own Sicilian/Italian culture, and the mythical history it holds of being considered a cure for a condition called “tarantism.”  This was believed to be caused by the bite of a poisonous spider (tarantula).  The victim would dance a wild frantic dance to “remove” the poison from their system.  I’ve used the myth here more as a metaphor of our own development in the modern world: we must often shake poisonous ideas that may come from our past or present-day circumstances to reconnect with our cultural roots and to bring them forward in our lives as they are.

This recording is a high-quality digital rendering of the piece, as a professional live recording is not yet available.