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ITALIAN SCENERY, MANNERS , A N D CUSTOMS. 33
P L A T I E X V I .
T H E S T R E E T - S I N G E R S .
JNIUSIC is the peculiar gift of Nature to the iiiliabitaiits of Italy. Their harmonious language
replete with voivels, and the softness of it's pronunciation, so different from the languages
of the North, ivhich on account of the number of consonants coming together are generally
harsh and uncouth, seem almost to give them the e-xclusivc privilege of singing. This
advantage, however, even accompanied by the best music, would be useless to them, were they
destitute of a fine voice ; but in this particular too they have a very decided superiority.
•I'here is in Italy, as in many other countries, a class of poor persons, who sing ballads or stories
in verse in the streets. At Florence we hear some of these stories that are very ancient,
both the language and style proving them to have been known in the days of Dant e and Petrarch.
The best voices among them occasionally select pieces from Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered;
the favourite of which is the adventure of Erminia, beginning at the first stanza of the
seventh canto, and continued to the tiventy-third. This piece is often sung by shepherds and
peasants, while at work in the fields. The ballad-singers never perform in much frequented
places, unless they are possessed of a fine voice, or without being accompanied by some instrument,
which in general is the guitar. They whoso voices are harsh or disagreeable always
keep h, a remote part of the town ; and it frequently happens, that they have money given
them to refrain from singing. These too are endured with more patience, when they sing the
life and miracles of some saint, whose anniversary is approaching; and they are in general well
stocked with tiicse holy legends, which they smg a week before, and sometimes after the
ieast-dav.
The s'cene represented in this plate is at Home, where the finest tenor voices are most common
One of tl-.e three figures is beating time on his hand with a piece of leather; he .s a kmd
of clown who, singing with the others, gives a comic animated expression to the words by Ins
whimsical gestures, aud contortions of eounU-nanee. This is a trick to induce the people passin,,
by to stop, ami tl.c people in the houses to place themselves at their wmdows. ^Vhenthe
story is nearly finished, the clown goes round with his cap or hat in his hand, and what he receives
is always according to the entertainment which has been aft'ordcd. If .t happen to be
dark when the concert takes place, they who throw money from the windows fold it m a paper,
liohth,., one end before they throw it down, which points it out to the mendicant performer.
Though these singers have a great deal of money given them, they are almost always poor and
ragged because, as soon as they have collected enough fer a good meal, they go into a tavern,
anTeat and drink till they have spent the last farlhing.
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