Italian music
Encyclopedia
The term Italian music is ambiguous and may refer to several topics:
- The music of ItalyMusic of ItalyThe music of Italy ranges across a broad spectrum of opera and instrumental classical music and a body of popular music drawn from both native and imported sources. Music has traditionally been one of the cultural markers of Italian national and ethnic identity and holds an important position in...
- The folkItalian folk musicItalian folk music has a deep and complex history. National unification came quite late to the Italian peninsula, so its many hundreds of separate cultures remained un-homogenized until quite recently compared to many other European countries...
, popularItalian popular musicThe expression Italian Popular Music refers to the musical output which is not usually considered Academic or Classical Music but rather have its roots in the popular traditions, and it may be defined in two ways: it can either be defined in terms of the current geographical location of the Italian...
, classicalItalian classical music-Art Music:"Art music" is a somewhat broader term than "classical music" and may be defined for the purposes of this article as "establishment" music that is composed for public or private performance. By definition, it excludes popular musical forms that are based on folk music...
(especially operaItalian operaItalian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers,...
) musics of Italy and the Italian peopleItalian peopleThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
s - The music of Italian people in the United StatesMusic of immigrant communities in the United StatesThe vast majority of the inhabitants of the United States are immigrants or descendents of immigrants. This article will focus on the music of these communities and discuss its roots in countries across Africa, Europe and Asia, excluding only Native American music, indigenous and immigrant Latinos,...
or other countries