ZAMPOGNA Mountain bagpipe blooms THE ZAMPOGNA MOLISANA EST known until recently as a The centre of zampogna-making is the Roman conquest of the region in 263 BC. picturesque but little understood orange-tiled village of Scapoli that, with its This is a relatively poor part of Italy, unpre- B presence in the traditional south potted geraniums and steep, narrow streets tentiously rooted in the traditions of its rugged Italian Christmas, the zampogna molisana is and terraces, overlooks valleys of olive groves, environment. Life here has made for a hardy making a strengthening emergence from its vineyards and cornfields, across to forests but hospitable rural culture, despite having strongholds in a few little-known mountain where European bears and wolves still roam been weakened by emigration and economic villages: Scapoli, Castelnuova al Volturno in the safety of the 44,000-hectare Abruzzo- vulnerability. and San Polo Matese. Molise and Lazio National Park and its At the end of July each year, it plays host to Improvements to the full-sounding, dou- 60,000-hectare extended protection zone. an international bagpiping festival: the Festival ble-chantered bagpipe, growing opportunities Although it is itself perched on a 600- Internazionale della Zampogna, popularly for performances by its players at festivals in metre hilltop, Scapoli is overlooked by the known as the “Scapoli Festival”. Europe, recordings, an expanding repertoire spectacular peaks of the Mainarde range to the Said Umberto Di Fiore, who constitutes and some very deliberate promotion have all north-west and the Matese range to the east the entire police force (Guarda Municipale) begun in various ways to elevate respect for — mountains held sacred by the early Samnite of the village of Scapoli and has been making the instrument. people whose culture held sway here before the zampognas for more than 25 years: “I see a lot PIPING TODAY • 32 COMMUNITY ZAMPOGNA of people coming from other parts of Italy and from abroad, from other parts of Europe, to buy the instrument, and the strange thing is that, when the same people come to Scapoli again after four or five years, they are able to play the zampogna, often better than me.” The first festival, in a relatively modest form, was held in 1975 at the instigation of the village administration’s Mayor, Pasquale Vecchiona, to celebrate Scapoli’s living tradi- tion of piping. “Surely the Scapoli Festival has helped to open the zampogna to wider interest, not as something to have as curio but as a musical instrument,” said Umberto Di Fiore. “Now, the zampogna is not just an instrument to put on the wall. People are learning to play… more than before.” Umberto Di Fiore’s father, Ettore, was a highly respected zampogna-maker, as too was his grandfather, Benedetto. Umberto Di Fiore in his workshop… “I see a lot of people coming from other parts of Italy and from abroad, from other “This is a family tradition,” he said. “I parts of Europe, to buy the instrument, and the strange thing is that, when the same people come to Scapoli again after four started to play, on an instrument made a long or five years, they are able to play the zampogna, often better than me.” time ago by my grandfather, when I was 10 years old. I began to make pipes 25 years ago, THE ZAMPOGNARO is at the upper left side in this learning from my father not as a business but detail of what is a room-sized to preserve my family’s traditions, the memory Nativity scene at the Museo della Zampogna in Scapoli. The of the family and the tradition of bagpipe permanent display was made making in this area. Today there are only four by master artists of the Via San Gregorio Amerno in Naples. The or five makers. regionally famous street in the “But there are new young people interested, heart of the city’s old section is crammed with the stalls and like my sons — Hectore, 29, and Gian Luigi, workshops of artists — ‘figurari’ 26 — have a folk group, playing zampogna, — who craft the popular figures and backgrounds of the and have started to make pipes and I am traditional Neapolitan Christmas teaching them; they are approaching the Nativity scenes. pipe-making and I see a good future for the instrument in the area.” The zampogna survived two centuries of decline largely through its association with Christmas. PIERO RICCI with the Molise The zampognari (pipers) of this region Regional Orchestra conducted by Franz Albanese, the orchestra’s have traditionally observed a nine-day cycle of principal conductor and artistic prayer and devotion leading up to Christmas director. Note the thumb of Piero Ricci’s left hand is covering by travelling to the cities to announce the additional tuning holes on the festive season with their music. Again, during back of the drone, while the fingers of same hand are on Epiphany, following their Christmas Novena, the longer chanter. The fingers the zampognari traditionally play. and thumb of his right hand are on the shorter, higher register Said Antonietta Caccia, president of the Cir- chanter, colo della Zampogna that has long provided the impetus for promotion of the instrument: “The pipers felt they had a responsibility to do this because, for Christmas, people needed, wanted and liked to hear the pipes.” This gave the zampognari an essential, spiritual task that kept their instrument alive and ensured at least Photos: Mike Paterson PIPING TODAY • 33 ZAMPOGNA some of the repertoire was handed down orally, troublesome little reeds, and was abandoned with both white and black keys — it allows often from father to son. These are traditions — the hole it occupied was better used as a many more effective chords and a different, that continue to this day. drainage hole. more versatile style of performance. From the 18th century, other olden uses Until very recently, the zampogna and “It means the zampogna can be played as a — such as providing an accompaniment to ciaramella were typically handcrafted on pedal- solo instrument. It gives me a wider range of farm labour and playing a part in the ritual operated lathes. Generally made from local olive notes, so I can play all the notes of the scale and protection of animals — began to fall into a or cherry wood, they show the hand and reflect play with instrumental ensembles and orches- steady decline. the skill of their maker. tra, and play a wider range of music. “The zampogna was used in all kinds of The shorter, right-hand chanter — the “It makes it possible for me to approach celebration, and in rural culture there were ‘canna melodica’ — has a thumb-hole at the new audiences, especially younger people,” many festive days, like the start of spring and at back and four finger holes and two sounding he said. harvest time, and the zampogna was the main holes at the front, giving a six-note range. On The changes also have encouraged new popular instrument in the whole south of Italy. the popular 25-inch model, this will be G, A- composition, and generated new performance The zampogna was played in processions and flat, B-flat, C, D-flat and E-flat. On the same opportunities for zampognari. religious celebrations, and it was used by itin- model, the longer, left hand chanter — the Piero Ricci has made several recordings and erant musicians who travelled as far as Russia, ‘canna ritmica’ —will produce A-flat, B-flat, has performed as a soloist at the La Scala Opera Scandinavia, and even to Scotland,” she said. C, D-flat and E-flat in the lower octave. It has House, Milan, with the La Scala Orchestra “However, from the second half of the 19th four front finger holes, the lowest closed by a directed by Riccardo Muti. He appears regu- century, particularly, it began to be used mainly key. The equivalent drone, which incorporates a larly with the Alessandro Scarlatti Orchestra for Christmas. short tuning slide, produces an E-flat: the same in Naples, the Soloists Orchestra of Aquila “In this region, the accordion was preferred note as the highest note on the left chanter. in Abruzzo and with the Orchestra Regionale for dancing, but the zampognari were irreplace- But makers can produce zampogna-ciara- del Molise. able in the very important role they had for so mella pairings in any of a number of keys, as He sees clear needs to promote a standard many generations played at Christmas. their customers prefer, by varying the length: instrument. “There has, for example, been “Now other people, young people, are start- 20, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32-inch models are all avail- no fixed tuning for the traditional zampogna ing to play, and not only for the Christmas able on order. The length refers to the length of — every zampogna was tuned to its own pitch Novena,” said Antonietta Caccia. the right-hand chanter. and this varies. “And in the festival — for some people it The bag goes under the right arm so the So Piero Ricci is now embarked on a is maybe not a good thing — we try to mix chanters are placed more comfortably, particu- campaign of persuasion, so that a standard modern music with the zampogna and ex- larly for the left hand, which, as on a keyboard, instrument can be produced and marketed with periment with new things to interest young plays the lower register. interchangeable parts. “This makes it possible people, so they get to know the instrument The standard zampogna molisana con chi- to produce a good quality tutor book that is and not just the old stereotypes of rurality and ave (“with key” — a reference to the key on helpful for all learners, and makes it possible Christmas.” the left-hand pipe) is almost invariably played to play zampognas together, in ensemble like a alongside a ciaramella — a nine-holed oboe or pipe band,” he said.