Tre giorni son che Nina
18th-century song long attributed to Pergolesi, but now more often to Vincenzo Legrenzo Ciampi (1719–1762)
"Tre giorni son che Nina in letto senesta" (often called "Nina" or the "Siciliana") is an 18th-century song long attributed to Pergolesi, but now more often to Vincenzo Legrenzo Ciampi (1719–1762). The song was one of the "Arie antiche" favourites of 19th-century salons associated with Alessandro Parisotti, and in the 20th century was recorded by Enrico Caruso, Tito Schipa, Giuseppe Anselmi, Richard Tucker as well as more recently, by Alfredo Kraus and Ramon Vargas. The attribution to Pergolesi may have come from the mistaken assumption that the song is based on an aria sung about Nina in Pergolesi's Lo frate 'nnamorato.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Tre giorni son che Nina” is 18th-century song long attributed to Pergolesi, but now more often to Vincenzo Legrenzo Ciampi (1719–1762). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through giorni, Nina and 18th-century, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “18th-century song long attributed to Pergolesi, but now more often to Vincenzo Legrenzo Ciampi (1719–1762)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 7, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q652170. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1719 and 1762.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tre giorni son che Nina”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tre giorni son che Nina primary sources, Tre giorni son che Nina archive and giorni research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tre giorni son che Nina”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tre giorni son che Nina” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.