This exuberant version of a Neapolitan folk song features a pounding

accompaniment and a catchy vocal line, but requires a fair level of

artistry on the part of the singer to keep it from becoming merely banal,

or from making it too artsy and precious.

The text is in the Neapolitan dialect used for so many Italian folk song

versions by Tosti, Bixio, or Di Curtis. "I want to make myself a

house in the middle of the sea, made of peacock feathers. Trallal la le la

tralla la la. Gold and silver stairs, and the balconies of precious stones.

Trala la le la tralla la la. When my Nennella shows up there, everybody

will say there's the sun rising. Tralla la le la tralla la la." The

"tralla" lines have a simple, lilting melody, with changes in the dynamics

(volume) keeping the listener's attention and the rest of the text is

a bit more subtly melodious, providing a pleasing contrast.

The song ends with a final, very loud "la, " and a crashing final chord from

the piano, ending the song with a touch of humor.

© All Music Guide