Musical Offerings ⦁ 2026 ⦁ Volume 17 ⦁ Number 1 41 culture.29 While Italian Fascists attempted to empower the Italian expatriate community through perceived cultural superiority, Prima’s approach to ethnic pride allowed for all Americans, regardless of heritage, to appreciate the less serious sides of Italian culture. As Mark Rotella wrote, “One great sensibility that would inform all of his [Prima’s] music was his self-deprecating humor. Whether people laughed with him or laughed at him, he knew they were enjoying themselves. And by laughing at yourself, you lessen the blow when others laugh. You have control; therefore, you are not a victim.”30 From a musical standpoint, Prima’s Italian novelties feature references to the tarantella that are adapted to a modern instrumental setting. The most important element is the time signature: the music can be heard in 6/8 time, which is the most common notation of the tarantella. Most of Prima’s Italian novelties are accompanied by a piano performing bass notes on each beat, with chords on the third 8th note of each beat. This gives the piano accompaniment an energetic and off-beat rhythm reminiscent of the accordion in Italian folk music. Interestingly, most of Prima’s Italian novelties lack the tambourine, which is the most fundamentally important instrument to perform an authentic tarantella. Instead, a single snare drum is used for percussion, offering a similar timbre to the tambourine while being a more familiar sound to the American ear (see Example 3). 29 Stahle, The Italian Emigration of Modern Times, 6. 30 Rotella, Amore, 80.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=