“The Marranzano sadly vibrates in the throat of the wheelwright who climbs the moon-clear hill, slowly among the murmur of Saracen olive trees”.
This is an excerpt taken from Salvatore Quasimodo’s well-known poem “Strada di Agrigentum” from 1938, where the poet nostalgically evokes some images of his Sicily.
The Marranzano that Salvatore Quasimodo talks about in this wonderful poem of his is a typical Sicilian wind chime, a real musical instrument with an unmistakable sound, which once accompanied the popular songs of the island.
Ennio Morricone, the great composer, decided to use the Sicilian harp for the soundtrack of the film directed by Sergio Leone: “For a Few Dollars More”.
Using a typical instrument from a Mediterranean island for the music of an American western film was a bold, perhaps even risky, choice, but in the end it was a great success with international resonance.