The Mandolin - The Serenade Of Italy

One of the most distinctive sounds of Italy is the tremolo melody of a mandolin. Carolyn Masone explores the history of this wonderful instrument with acclaimed composer, arranger and musician John T. LaBarbera. This beautiful slideshow was designed by Jefferson Harman. Special thanks to mandolincafe.com for the evocative images of vintage postcards and to mandolino.it for providing images of an authentic Vinaccia mandolin from 1781.

For a transcript of this podcast, visit our Italian Journal page at http://www.essenceofitaly.net/journal/2008/02/the_mandolin_the_serenade_of_i.php

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mandolin
• Italy
• John
• T.
• La
• Barbera
• Music
• Acoustic
• Italian
• Essence
• Of
• History
• of

[RatherCrunchyMuffin]

I like how the first couple mandolins they flash on the screen are obnoxiusly American in design

[nilsand]

Ow, next time . . . zoom in, not out.

[mounmon]

Love the way she says "what could be more Italian than the sound of the mandolin?" and then illustrates it with an American-style mandolin!

[childinferno]

Sorry but Hellas is responsible for mandolin, violin, guitar, pipes and every instrument YOU call Italian

[blancbard]

WTF?:S It is taken from Greece since ancient times of Magna Graecia. It is from Pandouras... Pandouras gave birth to mandolin, bouzouki, baglamas, guitar and lot more

[Miauriceful]

The Arabs did not invent anything, everything was already present in ancient times

[JahsTheWord1]

yea must have balls lol walk the narrow streets of naples, fiero napoli!!

[DonMiguel1810]

So interesting! Love the sound of Italian music... So funny how the man's suit at 3:30 - 3:37 looks sort of like a Mexican 'Charro' outfit...

[meshmis]

Arab always inspire other cultures

[thecoolerkeg]

@MAXIMILIANVS So true... The Pandoura was around way before the Oud ever made it to Italy (Around 711 AD the Oud came there).. The Pandoura was around in Ancient Greek and Roman times... The mandolin and bouzouki are both descendants of the Pandoura ... not the Oud!!! Long Live Italian and Greek tradition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!