Tarantella
Romantic works
Definition
A fast Italian dance in compound meter (6/8 or 3/8) with a whirling, perpetual-motion character. Named after the tarantula spider — folk legend held that the frantic dance was the cure for a tarantula bite. As a piano form it ranges from short salon pieces to extended concert showpieces.
Historical Context
The tarantella entered art music through the salon repertoire of the 19th century. Chopin, Liszt, Heller, and Gottschalk all wrote piano tarantellas. Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle, Op.67 is his most substantial essay in the form.