... is a form of dance that originated in late mediaeval Italy and became very popular in courts throughout Europe. During the 15th century, the word saltarello came to denote a particular dance step (a double with a hop on the final or initial upbeat), and a musical meter.
The saltarello became the typical folk dance of central Italy, and Felix Mendelssohn incorporated it into the finale of his Italian Symphony after witnessing it at the Roman Carnival of 1831.
© Haydn Thompson 2017