O. 3 – DENZA/ROSSINI/CASACCIA, NEAPOLITAN FANTASY (2025) — ca. 7′
A symphonic arrangement of two iconic tarantella dances
Symphonic arrangement · ca. 7′ · Two movements
3[1.2.pic] 3[1.2.Eh] 4[1.2.3.picc.4.bcl] 3[1.2.cbn] – 4 3 3 1 – tmp+4 – 2hp, pno – str
Programme note:
Neapolitan Fantasy is a symphonic arrangement of two iconic tarantella dances: Funiculì Funiculà by Luigi Denza (1880), composed to celebrate the opening of the Vesuvius funicular railway near Naples; and La Danza by Gioachino Rossini, from his collection Les soirées musicales (1835).
Casaccia sought to transform these songs, originally conceived for tenor and piano, into an orchestral setting full of theatrics and colour. These beloved tunes embody the spirit of the tarantella—a vibrant, fast-paced dance in 6/8 time, often accompanied by tambourines and associated with joy and celebration. Many composers have drawn inspiration from the tarantella form—at times even from these very melodies, including Liszt and Richard Strauss. Despite that illustrious company, Casaccia found the project to be a worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyable exercise.
Composition: Como, Sep 2024 (short-score), Dec 2024–Jan 2025 (orchestration); completed 12 Jan 2025
Form/structure: 2 movements — I. Funiculì Funiculà (L. Denza); II. La Danza (G. Rossini)
Instrumentation:
1 PICCOLO, 2 FLUTES, 2 OBOES, 1 ENGLISH HORN, 1 PICCOLO CLARINET, 2 CLARINETS, 1 BASS CLARINET, 2 BASSOONS, 1 CONTRABASSOON, 4 HORNS, 3 TRUMPETS, 3 TROMBONES, 1 TUBA, TIMPANI, PERCUSSION SET (4 pl.), 2 HARPS, 1 PIANO, VIOLINS I & II, VIOLAS, CELLOS, DOUBLE BASSES
Publications:
– Casaccia, Alexandre. Denza/Rossini/Casaccia, Neapolitan Fantasy, O. 3. Score. Self-published edition, 11 Nov 2025. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17584180; also available on IMSLP (I. Funiculì Funiculà / II. La Danza)
Rights: © 2025 Alexandre Casaccia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Score preview: