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a project by Andrea Bonacini screenplay by Orfeo Bossini conducted by Davide Bizzarri

violins Davide Bizzarri Orfeo Bossini Roberto Mattioli viola Gigi Andreoli doublebass Filippo Pedol

Pictures Foto di gruppo

A Bit of History…

In the late 18th century, dances typical of the Germanic and Slavic countries spread in the Emilia-Romagna countryside. Austrian occupation favoured the spreading of polkas, mazurkas and waltzes in the Po Valley, soon merging with local music. The result is a new and well-liked kind of music, which is still deeply rooted in local culture and is known as “ballo liscio”; its function has always been to dance and entertain. An original kind of music developed from the mid-1800s in and around the village of Santa Vittoria (in the Municipality of Gualtieri – province of Reggio Emilia): local dance music is characterised by the use of string instruments only. The Concert of Violins – this was originally the name of the bands playing this music – is re-proposed in its original form: the string quintet.

The Ensemble The ensemble includes three violins, a viola and a double bass, as it is typical of Santa Vittoria string quintets whose sounds are unique and unusual.

The scores used can be dated from the 1930s to the 1950s, though some of the music was composed earlier, some as early as the 1800s, and belonged to the repertoire of the many Concerts of Violins present in Santa Vittoria.

The CD “Concerto Bagnoli” was released in 2002 after a long and thorough research study started in 1999, and includes waltzes, mazurkas, polkas, one steps and tangos composed by members of the Bagnoli family.

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