In the context of this museum the term "Piedmontese popular music" is used, meaning all musical forms, both as they are and accompanying the dances, ranging from the Lombard period (year 570 for Piedmont) and Franco (year 773) to the Bass Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the Romantic Era until the end of the 19th century and oblivion with the 20th century.

The music has been preserved above all through the dances. In this sense, see also the report by Enzo G. Conti presented at the conference “History and Folklore of Monferrato” - Carpeneto, 2006.

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• Music and dances spread in almost all of the Piedmont area

  • MONFERRINA (Monfrin-a, Monferin-a, Monfrinòta)

  • CURENTA (Corenta, Correnta) of pre-Roman origin and consolidated in the Lombard period.

 

• Music and dances currently linked only to specific areas, where isolation factors have allowed their conservation, but in several cases of probable greater extension in historical times (before the 19th century).

  • Val Varaita. Gigo, courento, countradanso, bouréo, tresso, tour, rigoulet, ghihouno, cadri, pountarelo, baletas, camaigro, courento doubio, calissoun, asus-ain, tolo, cousteòles, rigoudin, gamaoucho, troumpezo, moulinet, balet, mesquio.

  • Val Vermenagna. Courenta, balet.

  • Val Maira . Courento dla rocho.

  • Val Po. Giga, bouréa.

  • Val Germanasca, San Martin and Chisone. Courento, boure, spouzino, spouzin, badouaezo, countrodanso, rigoudun, lou bal da saber.

  • Val di Susa. Dances of the Spadonari.

  • Valleys of Lanzo. Courenda, courenda of the seven leaps, brandou, branlu.

  • Apennine valleys of the "four provinces" (Alessandria, Genoa, Pavia, Piacenza). Monferrina, Alessandria, jig by two, jig by four, perigurdino, plain, bisagna, sestrina, pòvra dòna.

  • Roero, Langhe and Monferrato. Brando, sbrando, monfrin-a, burea, burèja, corenta, corenton.

  • Roccagrimalda. Corenta dij botaj, ritual dances of the Carnival: lachera, Giga, calisun, baligurdin or poligurdin.

  • Val Vigezzo. Monfrina, ritual dances of the Carnival: matuzìnàa, bal d'ul trapola.

  • Ivrea. Carnival ritual dances: diana, monferrina, pifferata.

 

• “Hall” Piedmontese music and dances documented in printed editions or in ancient manuscripts.

  • MONFERRINA, ALESSANDRINA, PIEDMONTESE, GIGA, PERIGURDINO, CONTRADANZA, QUADRIGLIA, GALÒP, PACHIOTTINA, ALLEMANDA, BOREA, CORRENTA, etc.

 

 

 

 

Therefore, the European protohistoric roots are included, especially Celto-Ligurian and Gallic, common to different regions of Europe and expressed in different and specific local variants.

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   Regarding the meaning of the dances, albeit with various uncertainties, we report  some interesting considerations.

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Thus the RIGODON shows the character of a warrior and seduction dance while the RONDEU was originally a sacred dance.

  The FARANDOLA, a Provencal dance par excellence, was once performed only by men, who formed a snake with a supple and circular movement, a symbol of fertility. The first man in line represents the destiny that drives all the others.

  The typical dances of the Italian valleys are the CORENTA, with the meaning of "storm" in the ancient Celtic language, widespread together with the Renaissance dances and present with different steps in each country, and the BALET, also with always different patterns.

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    BRANDO derives from the ancient Franca language and is still a living word in the Piedmontese language. It means "moving relentlessly, like the tongues of a burning flame".
 

   

 

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