O Mio Babbino Caro (and other Italian songs)
When I played viola at the Farmers' Market last month, an friendly older gentleman requested I play a song called "Come Back to Sorrento." I'd never heard of it and had to regretfully decline.
When I got home, I looked it up on You Tube, and found an interesting version of that song sung by Pavarotti and Meat Loaf (the link is on my blog). I also bought a Classical Fake Book and found the music in there. I'm prepared.
Or so I thought. I'm playing again in two weeks, and the stakes are a little higher this time for a couple of reasons. First of all, my parents are going to be there listening. Enough said about that. It's also Massachusetts Farmers' Market week that week, and while I'm playing, there will be tastings from local restaurants, free compact fluorescent light bulbs, and copies of the magazine "Edible Boston" being distributed.
Since I played essentially my entire viola repertoire last time, I thought that for something a little different, I would play the violin this time. Handel Sonatas, Bach S&P, Vivaldi, Irish fiddle . . . and Come Back to Sorrento.
Which brings me to the title of this discussion. The press release for this event, already distributed, says that I will be playing the favorite Italian songs of the man who requested them, who is a market regular. Umm . . . Songs? Plural?
So. O Mio Babbino Caro is famous and beautiful. I've actually played violin in the pit orchestra for a university production of Gianni Schicci, and it's in my fake book. But it's in A-flat. It would be a lot easier if I transposed it up a half-step and put it in A, especially if I wanted to play part of it up an octave from where it's written in the fake book. Would that be a huge faux pas? I'm sure it would sound better than my trying to hit a high A-flat consistently.
And, I've already written to ask if he can suggest a few other titles in advance, but if he doesn't, can anyone here recommend other romantic Italian melodies in a similar vein?
Thanks--
Replies (8)
It's not a violin book, and it's pretty simple, but Terry Pender published a book of Italian mandolin music that contains the sort of thing your audience might like. It's available at Elderly Instruments. And of course the violin and mandolin are tuned alike, so there's no transposition issues.
pur ti miro una furtivalagrima in trutina
Not sure how it would work out without someone playing changes for you to play on top of, but that is always the chalenge with solo violin--one voice, no changes other than the double stops you can manage to find. Hope it helps.
Hi Karen
you can download from eMule O sole mio, una furtiva lagrima and other italian songs.
Look for Caruso: he is unique!
Greetings
There is a nice book of puccini arias for viola..
It is called Play Puccini Viola from Hal Leonard ISBN 0-634-04635-7.
I love it. The melodies are gorgeous and it is quite easy to play; just the right register.
I played in an upscale Italian restaurant for several years, usually with an accordionist. I really enjoy that kind of stuff & still do conventions & private parties, solo or otherwise. Learn O Mio Babbino Caro in Ab. Play it all in 4th position - it's a lot easier that way. If you work with others, you'll find that most of these tunes tend to be performed in sort of standardized keys. Once you get really good at it, the keys don't matter so much to you.
Here's a list of often requested tunes to get you started. Learn the easiest ones first, you'll build a repertoire faster. For me, Sorrento works best in C minor, but some tend to prefer it in Em. (singer's keys) Good luck. JHG
Godfather - main theme
Speak Softly Love
Sorrento
Spanish Eyes
Arrivaderci Roma
Summertime
Fascination
Tennessee Waltz
Santa Lucia
Misty
Over the Rainbow
Tarantella
When You Wish Upon a Star
Irish Eyes Are Smiling
More
Greensleeves
Amazing Grace
The Entertainer
Edelweiss
Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
Memory
Moon River
Hungarian Rhapsody #5
Anema Core
Somewhere My Love
Sunrise, Sunset
Fiddler on the Roof
If I Were a Rich Man
O Solo Mio
Mala Femmina
Czardas
That’s Amore - I do this in Bb and C because I sing it too
Volare
La Paloma
Funiculi, Funicula
Besame Mucho
I Love Paris
Under Paris Skies
Never on Sunday
Bella Notte
Autumn Leaves
All I Ask of You
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
La Donna e Mobile
Perfidia
Everybody Loves Somebody
Love Story
Danny Boy
Unforgettable
Por Una Cabeza
Orange Blossom Special
Yesterday
La Vien Rose
My Way
Send in the Clowns
Al Di La
All of Me
Anniversary Song
Ave Maria
Beer Barrel Polka
Ciao, Ciao, Bambina
Havah Nagilah
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Mama
Oh Marie
Devil Went Down to Georgia
Mattinata
O Mio Babbino Caro
New York, New York
Unchained Melody
What a Wonderful World
Ashokan Farewell
Lover’s Waltz
Castle on a Cloud
Moonlight in Vermont
Mona Lisa
Titanic
As Time Goes By
Schindler’s List
Thanks for the list! I ended up playing the viola at the market again (for complicated reasons) and tried O Mio Babbino Caro in D on the viola. It was okay, it didn't actually sound *bad*, but it didn't stand out, and I wasn't that thrilled with it. I probably won't do that again; I'll stick with it on the violin and in A-flat. You have a good point about learning it in the standard keys in order to be able to play it with others.
On the other hand, O Sole Mio (played as written in the Classical Fake Book--didn't have to be transposed at all for viola) was a big hit. Someone from a local cable access station had a camera and recorded me playing it, and they interviewed me for a half a minute or so afterwards. That was fun. And Sorrento was good in Cm, it could just be played on the viola without transposition.
I love the idea of learning the most-requested songs on the violin, that sounds like a great project!
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August 10, 2007 at 11:42 PM · You can transpose "Nina". It might be out there for violin, but I only have viola sheet music, also in a Suzuki viola book.