Tarantella for Soprano & Accordion ~ by Nick Ariondo ~ featuring Rebecca Rodriguez, soprano

Composed by Nick Ariondo, Tarantella for Soprano & Accordion (Questa la storia de la Tarantella -- This is the story of the Tarantella) tells the story of the Tarantella -- the poisonous bite of the Tarantula spider as the crowd dances round and round to help cure the deadly bite. The rapid 6/8 tempo moves in a brisk dance-like fashion as the vocalist projects a wide range from soft quiet passages to dynamic outbursts which include tongue-twisting non-syllabic sounds in an opera-style setting. Originally composed for soprano Valerie Orlando, Nick and Valerie premiered the work on "live"radio. Rebecca Rodriguez and Nick Ariondo, as seen in this video, have performed several times together in concert including a "live" performance at LACMA's Bing Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA., and again, at a later date, Nick performed the work with vocal wonder Florence Riggs... The Tarantella for Soprano and Accordion is a virtuosic display of modern contemporary vocal techniques, driving rhythms and vocal/instrumental interplay between soprano and accordion -- an energetic whirlwind of music and dance!