Definition and background:
A dance in fast 6/8 time having a delirious, mad character to it. The tarantella is characterized by alternations between major and minor tonalities and a quickening of speed throughout the composition. Named after Taranto in southern Italy. Two legends connect the dance with the tarantula spider, which also derives its name from the town. the first is that the spider's bite causes a madness that induces wild dancing; the second is that the sweat produced acts as an antidote to the spider's poison.
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Wikipedia - Glossary of Musical Terminology
Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary
ORB -- Medieval Music Glossary