A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Siciliana

by William Barclay Squire

SICILIANA, SICILIANO, SICILIENNE, a dance rhythm closely allied to the Pastorale. The name is derived from a dance-song popular in Sicily, analogous to the Tuscan Rispetti.^[1] Walther (Lexicon, 1732) classes these compositions as canzonettas, dividing them into Neapolitan and Sicilian, the latter being like jigs, written in rondo form, in 12–8 or 6–8 time. The Siciliana was sometimes used for the slow movement of Suites and Sonatas (as in Bach's Violin Sonata in G minor), but is of more frequent occurence in vocal music, in which Handel, following the great Italian masters, made great use of it. Amongst later composers, Meyerbeer has applied the name to the movement 'O fortune, à ton caprice' in the finale to Act i. of Robert le Diable, although it has little in common with the older examples. The Siciliana is generally written in 6–8, but sometimes in 12–8 time, and is usually in a minor key. In the bar of six quavers, the first note is usually a dotted quaver, and the fourth a crotchet, followed by two semiquavers. The Siciliana is sometimes in one movement, but usually ends with a repetition of the first part. It should be played rather quickly, but not so fast as the Pastorale, care being taken not to drag the time and to avoid all strong accentuation, smoothness being an important characteristic of this species of composition. For examples we may refer to Pergolesi's 'Ogni pena più spietate' (Gemme d' Antichità, no. 24), and Handel's airs 'Let me wander not unseen' (L' Allegro), and 'Die Rosenkrönen' (The Passion).

[ W. B. S. ]

1. For an account of these Sicilian songs see G. Pitré, 'Sui Canti Popolari Siciliani,' Palermo, 1868.