| Italian: La pulce d'acqua | |
| Type: | Studio album |
| Artist: | Angelo Branduardi |
| Cover: | Pulce_d'acqua.jpg |
| Released: | 1977 |
| Studio: | Fonit-Cetra Studios |
| Genre: | Folk, Italian singer-songwriters |
| Label: | Polydor |
| Prev Title: | Italian: [[Alla fiera dell'est]] |
| Prev Year: | 1976 |
| Next Title: | Italian: [[Cogli la prima mela]] |
| Next Year: | 1979 |
Italian: '''La pulce d'acqua''' ("The Water Flea") is an album by Italian singer-songwriter Angelo Branduardi. It was released in 1977 by Polydor. A French edition, entitled French: La Demoiselle, was released in 1979; an English edition, entitled Fables and Fantasies and with lyrics written by Peter Sinfield, was released in 1980. The title track, "Italian: La pulce d'acqua|i=no" is based on a Native American legend reported and adapted by Jaime de Angulo about a man falling ill because his shadow has been stolen by a water flea. "Italian: Ballo in Fa diesis minore|i=no" ("Dance in F-sharp minor") is based on Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal in which a man defies the personification of Death (lyrics are taken from an inscription of a danse macabre depiction at Clusone, near Bergamo); the melody is inspired by "Schiarazula Marazula", a medieval northern Italian theme which accompanied exorcism rites and which was collected by Giorgio Mainerio in his Italian: Primo libro de' balli (1578). "Italian: Il ciliegio|i=no" ("The cherry tree") is based on the English traditional song "The Cherry Tree Carol". "Italian: Il poeta di corte|i=no" ("The court poet"), featuring Sardinian: [[launeddas]] parts by Luigi Lai, is partially based on "Aragonese: Canarios|i=no" by Aragonese Baroque composer Gaspar Sanz.
"Italian: La lepre nella luna|i=no" ("The hare in the Moon") is inspired by a Buddhist legend of the Moon rabbit. "Italian: La bella dama senza pietà|i=no" ("The beautiful merciless dame") recalls a poem by John Keats, in turn based on a composition by Alain Chartier. "Italian: La sposa rubata|i=no" ("The stolen bride"), finally, retakes a Breton song entitled "Breton: Ar plac'h dimezet gant Satan|i=no" ("Satan's fiancée"), included in the Breton: [[Barzaz Breiz]] anthology.