The Tarentella was an Italian folk dance, rather frantic, apparently used to cure the bite of the Tarantula. Bitten persons should dance nonstop during hours in order to force the deadly venom out through the pores of the body.

"Tarentella" was written in 2003 for the Australian pianist Gabriella Smart, who premiered it at the Melbourne International Festival for the Arts in the same year.

Audio sample: beginning of the work. By Gabriella Smart.