ELEMENTI

Le ORME are back!! Well by adding an half star at least (probably a 4 star score is righter), if you don't regard of its shortness, this album is equal to "Il Fiume",which actually represented their first comeback, but the only 1st track of the suite inside that concept and another couple of songs too (above all the last one) were well worth checking out; instead the other tracks were tepid and quite commercial pop songs... but coming back to this "Elementi", whose cover picture is a genial interpretation by Paul Whitehead, regarding every season's change of the elements,this is a magical return to their glorious past.Besides the presence of the former violinist and pianist as well from the band "MYSIA", ( Andrea Bassato), enriches the compositions thanks to his important experience,along with the keyboardist Michele Bon, another remarkable musician, involved also with the guitar parts (listen to his customized keyboard emulating the guitar sound, embraced with joy during his excursions all along the stage). This time their symphonic imprinting is very important. Moreover Aldo Tagliapietra (like within "Il Fiume") is busy with his indian sitar and naturally his usual double bass guitar/guitar.

Recommended surprise!

This concept album by legendary Italian prog band LE ORME was a very nice surprise for me five years after their comeback album"Il Fiume" which I found rather weak and simplistic. "Elementi" became much more dynamic than its predecessor, the quality of the compositions comes closer to that one of their 70's masterpieces but nevertheless they're not just copying theirselves and it sounds very modern. There are 14 suites about the four elements which segue without any break into each other. The compositions are nicely balanced between up-tempo and more dreamy ones, as well between vocal and instrumental sections. The sound dominated by the two keyboards is quite dense and voluminous, enriched by Aldo Tagliapietra's strong bass play and some occasional Hammond. In one song he's using the sitar getting supported by violin which is a nice reminiscence of their folk-ish origins. Overall a very convincing evidence that they still can do it and certainly worth 4 stars!

(Edited 10/12/2005)

This record is exciting!! Is a monumental comeback for this ecxellent Italian group, singing in italian and processing the most pure progressive rock, like they did in the 70's. Danza Del Vento - Prima Parte , opens the suite(i can name this album as a suite!), majestic, pure sinphonic, bringing in the sequence Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte with lyric and beautiful melody. The accuracy and technique of the band's music is extreme. Like the other review, i don't think this album is commercial at all, but authentic progressive and innovative music. The keyboards and pianos in the album are beautiful.Enjoy today!!!

Album released in 2001 "Elementi". The sound is symphonic rock optimistically made. It is a work with a good sense to draw out a warm, classical melody and performance. Moreover, it keeps brave, a positive theme appears repeatedly, and it makes it to the total album. Great masterpiece to revive meaning of rock symphony as keyboard trio whom ELP showed by "Canario" and "Fanfare For The Common Man", and to make it recognize again.

This concept album by legendary Italian prog band LE ORME was a very nice surprise for me five years after their comeback album Il Fiume which I found rather weak and simplistic. Elementi became much more dynamic than its predecessor, the quality of the compositions comes closer to that one of their 70's masterpieces but nevertheless they're not just copying theirselves and it sounds very modern. There are 14 suites about the four elements which segue without any break into each other. The compositions are nicely balanced between up-tempo and more dreamy ones, as well between vocal and instrumental sections. The sound dominated by the two keyboards is quite dense and voluminous, enriched by Aldo Tagliapietra's strong bass play and some occasional Hammond. In one song he's using the sitar getting supported by violin which is a nice reminiscence of their folk-ish origins. Overall a very convincing evidence that they still can do it! 4 1/2 well deserved stars!

The opening track(s) brings us back in 1976, and the "Genesis" repertoire while they were four. Actually, I should say a few ones from this album since "Danza" is a suite of several short numbers spread all over this album. The whole being rather pleasant and by far their best production from the last forteen years.

This album, although pleasant is seriously neo-prog oriented. Vocals are exceptional (but this is no news). Great melodies as the band is capable of and as an extra, there are some great guitar break available as well ("Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte).

The band is proposing rather short pieces here (a minus point). Some of them being fully "ELP" oriented as during their early work ("Danza Della Terra"). This work is really a pleasant journey through wonderful musical moments. I have the impression of a fantastic return into the best of their albums while listening to the emotional "Risveglio". A highlight.

And even if a track as "Dove Tutto È" is far from being the best one here, the combination of different instruments, including sitar is not uninteresting.

"Le Orme" has always been stingy in terms of album length. As if their fans shouldn't deserve more music. In this case, it is a pity because it is one of their most poignant efforts. A wonderful and unexpected come back after a long period of average work.

Three solid stars (seven out of ten actually).

Released thirty years after the progressive baptism of fire that was Collage, Le Orme continues to impress me with Elementi, with an uncompromising feel for quality. New members on-board, but thankfully playing music of the same tradition.

Full of dense, action-packed symphonic force and sweet balladry, possibly more so than ever, considering the massive use of synthesisers (not the same possibilities in the early 70s) and some extra goodies in the shape of glockenspiel, sitar and violin. The sound is more modern - and not only when it comes to recording - there is a slight neo-prog influence to be found; slick, clear guitar work and soloing, modern keys and a general crispness, tightness and easy-going atmosphere that actually manages to shine through the flamboyant keyboard excesses and heavily romantic outbursts. Including an electric guitar to this extent may at first feel kind of alienating for a fan of the older albums, either in dominating the soundscape or just the simple truth that parts featuring it don't feel particularly 70s. Much of the overt classical leanings in the music are also replaced by a more contemporary symphonic sound, with motifs and structure that sound familiar for those of you who have made excursions into the modern symph scene.

Just like on Collage, the band manages to create a fuller sound and a more varied effort here than on their two classics while losing a little consistency along the way. Apples and oranges, and I can't say it troubles me exchanging one for the other. The band shows amazing talent in filling up all the gaps in the music with just the right tone from say a glockenspiel or a piano, creating interplay between the instruments that I'd love to here from more bands.

Loosely held together by a couple of recurring musical themes and the four elements, the songs found on Elementi work just as well individually as they do collectively, playing the album from start to finish. Quite varied in style and mood but neatly grouped together due to the taste for drama and beauty. A colourful display of synth and organ madness, Hammond groove, heavier interludes, a touch of 60s psych-rock and sweet guitar-driven sophisto-pop is what a listener will face when listening to Elementi. Some of it in the same song; a quite impressive feat since the medium song length is about 3-4 minutes. A nice touch is that the albums first and last song both have the same hopeful, positive vibe to them, which adds a sense of circular completion to the music. Perfect match to the change of seasons and their respective elements that can be witnessed on the front cover.

With an impressive power to last, Elementi's made it into my top three from the band without much effort. Very mature and surprisingly good for a band that has such a long career - and above all - music that suggests fresh spirits instead of tired ones makes this a worthy part of my collection.

4 stars.

//LinusW

This is the second installment of the trilogy and a huge improvement over the first one ("Il Fiume"). I really feel like they have gone back to their roots on this one, and in my opinion this is their best record since 1974's "Contrappunti". Hey even the length of the album at just over 42 minutes is a trip back in time. Love the cover art by the legendary Paul Whitehead that pictures the four elements(Earth, Fire, Air and Water).

"Danza Del Vento (prima parte)" opens with the sound of the wind blowing before synths dominate. Drums after 1 1/2 minutes as a full sound kicks in. Nice. Organ then guitar come to the forefront. Fantastic instrumental. "Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte" opens with gentle guitar before the legendary vocals of Aldo come in. Gulp. Violin melodies and vocals take turns before it kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes.This is so emotional ! The guitar is heart breakingly good. Synths then take over as the first song is reprised. A calm 4 1/2 minutes and vocals return. Guitar is back before 6 1/2 minutes lighting it up. It blends into "Danza Del Vento (seconde parte)" where an uptempo melody takes over with the guitar ripping it up.

"Danza Della Terra" opens with heavy percussion and fuzzed out organ as piano joins in.This sounds incredible.The organ comes ripping in around a minute as drums pound away. Check out the bass ! Very interesting track. "Risveglio" opens with a gong, then spoken words. Vocals a minute in as the synths cry out. "Canto Di Preghiera" opens with choir-like sounds. Piano and synths before a minute. Vocal melodies follow. Great sound. It blends into "Lord Of Dance" which has an uptempo melody with lots of synths and drums. Vocals after a minute are those of Michele, and he is excellent. Nice drum work 2 1/2 minutes in. Rain and thunder ends it as it blends into "Danza Della Pioggia". Beautiful piano melodies come in. So moving.

"Dove Tutto E !" features sitar and violin with Aldo singing. Interesting tune. It works. "Luce Dorata" opens with floating organ as vocals come in. Synths before a minute. "Danza del Fuoco" opens with piano as some killer organ comes in briefly. Organ, piano and drums lead the way. Excellent melody. Chunky bass comes in later. It blends into "Il Respiro" is a highlight with those fantastic vocals and the guitar that comes and goes. Hey the piano isn't bad either. "Danza Del Vento (terza parte)" builds to a killer soundscape not unlike SPOCK'S BEARD. Organ and drums lead the way, although guitar and bass shine too. "Risveglio (ripresa)" is led by those incredible vocals as organ, synths and drums support. The wind (like at the start of the album) blows in to end it. Nice.

A must for fans of their earlier classic works. LE ORME is back !

Talk about beautiful music !! It is dynamic and refreshing to our ears.

It sounds so good, I find this album at least as good as the oldest Le Orme album (or even better, if it's possible !) This album might be a landmark as for the composition, the arrangement, the mixing : there some good guitars, violins, and of course very inspired keyboards.

It's a concept album and (in my opinion) it should be considerered as a single whole epic of 42½ minutes (a little short, indeed).

From the classic trio line-up of the '70's, Aldo Tagliapietra (bass, guitars and vocals) and Michi Dei Rossi (drums) are still there. To complete the band, Michele Bon (organ) and Andrea Bassato (piano & violin).

As the album begins (Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte), we already ear that Aldo Tagliapietra has kept his beautiful voice in top shape. Also the addition of a violinist is surely a wonderful idea. Then, it moves to a more intense (hardest) part (Danza Della Terra), to return to sung section (Risveglio). And, what a singer he is ; he certainly has a very own style of singing (as in Lord Of Dance). It moves to a piano introduction (Danza Della Pioggia) a the famous Dove Tutto E'! skilfully mixing the sitar, the violin, percussions, and again Aldo's magnificent voice. The third part of Danza Del Vento (good guitar on that one) and the reprise of Risveglio conclude this album in a wondurful way.

I will state that this is enough close to a five-stars album. Don't give a second thought et give it a try. You won't regret it

I own this CD since 2002, but I did not pay much atention to it until recently. At that time I found so many new stuff released by the same label in Brazil (Rock Symphony Records) I simpy had to much to listen. But now I decided it was time to give it some new spins and I was quite impressed by it. Le Orme did some weak stuff after they released a string of outstanding records in the 70´s. Well, they were not the only ones not to feel confortable in the 80´s. So I was a little skeptical when I bought it. But at least it was not expensive and it had a great cover done by Paul Whitehead (Genesis).

I´m glad to say I was very surprised by what I heard. This CD seems to come right from the 70´s. Their music soars and the ELP and Genesis influences (specially the former) are very clear. They have two new keyboard players, but orignal members Aldo Tagliapietra (bass, vocals, guitars, sitar) and Michi Dei Rossi (drums & percussion) are there, and in great form. In fact, Tagliapietra is actually singing even better than in the 70´s! A very nice touch! I just loved the record, although it is a bit short for today´s standards (just 42 minutes of music). they could have come with something longer than that.

The CD as a whole is excellent, but I must point out one of prog´s most beautiful songs: Il Vento, Il Ciello E La Notte, a very poignant number with emotional vocals and an instrumental that givers me goose bumps every time I hear it. (nice violin here played by one fo the keybodists, Andrea Bossato). The production is also top notch. If you´re into 70´s symphonic prog, italian or otherwise, you should not miss this one. Four strong stars, no doubt.

Elementi certainly sees a shift from the classic darker sound of Le Orme (I have no albums between Contrappunti and this so it's possible their sound has changed prior to Elementi) to a far more positive sound. Le Orme puts a toe into the world of Neo-prog with this one. As a concept album (although I have no little idea about the concept) this album is full of reprises and recurring themes.

As you could probably figure out, the first three songs are more of a suite since "Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte" is bookended by parts 1 and 2 of "Danza Del Vento." The two dances do a good job at setting a positive mood with their enthusiasm. "Il Vento" starts off with 1.5 minutes of the most beautiful voice in music working with some delicate instruments. An extremely cheesy 80s-esque guitar solo comes in for a while then things switch between the beauty of the beginning of the song, the wind dance, and the 80s cheese.

"Danza Della Terra" brings us our first foray into the ominous Le Orme music of old. A setting created by the bass drums, bass guitar and keys almost makes you forget about the joy displayed earlier.

"Risveglio" is probably my favorite track here (although it's hard to single out a single thread in this fantastically interwoven cloth). It eases up on the bleak atmosphere from the previous track. The keyboards, as usual, play a crucial role here. Aldo's vocals bring a beautiful sadness to the mix which fades into a more hopeful tone with the encouragement of the other instruments during the choruses.

"Canto Di Preghiera" sets a haunting mood with its acappella choral-style "oh oh oh"s which are joined by some keys and drums to add to the effect.

"Lord of Dance" is sung in English (for some reason) and the lyrics make no sense without the background set up by the previous tracks. Anyway, this track starts off rocking with their most exciting use of synths yet and maintains the energy throughout the song.

"Danza Della Pioggia" is a soft piano piece with some strings in the background. It's quite good.

"Dove Tutto E" is all about the sitar. It starts off beautiful without a clear mood then turns into a happier piece you might expect to hear somewhere on Tales From Topographic Oceans or maybe a little like "Don of the Universe" by The Flower Kings. "Dove Tutto E" then flows into "Luca Dorata" which is somewhat of a reprise of the first half of "Dove Tutto E."

"Luce Dorata" is a organ and synth based song which seems to take a very roundabout way to transition from the previous instrumental to the next two tracks.

"Danza Del Fuoco" seems to be the most ELP-inspired piece due mainly to the keyboards. It's the instrumental half of the fire element and "Il Respiro" is the vocal half. Le Orme's idea of fire is toned down a fair deal from what other comparable bands would do. It's still a good duo but I feel like they should have made it a bit more fiery (improper English perhaps but "fierier" sounds weird).

The third part of "Danza Del Vento" is once again a continuation of the wind suite from the beginning but it does serve as a good lead-in to the energetic reprisal of "Risveglio."

Elementi is easily on par with classic Le Orme works. I absolutely love this album and recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of accessible beauty in the form of music. Giving this 4 stars is the only option in my mind because it lacks that special something to be a masterpiece.

This is Italian progressive rock in it's very best form.

What makes this progressive? I wouldn't even know where to begin. The album is conceptual, it has themes that return time and again inventively modified, the music is programmatic, the music is demanding yet likeable, the musicians play at a highly skilled level without going into musical athletics for athletic's sake, and Aldo has taken his understanding of electric guitar to new heights. Given how good Le Orme was in their classic period, I consider all of those reasons an excellent justification for giving this one five stars.

But there's one more reason. I LIKE this one better. I listen to this more often than I do to their two classic albums, Felona e Sorona and Uomo di Pezza. This one just clicks with me because of the excellent composition of the album throughout.

So 5 stars for a band that has managed the trick of capturing the magic of their heyday once again. There aren't many that have done it successfully.

It's really amazing how this album can be seen as a return to form. Which form? A faceless neo-prog form? This album is certainly not in any shape that is even vaguely similar to what Le Orme used to be. This is the sound of a band that has lost its essence and that has to resort to second-rate neo prog clichés to get anything resembling an album together.

The album couldn't possible take a worse start then with the synth kitsch of Danza Del Vento, a cheap chain of humdrum prog formulas with not one decent melody or creative idea to make it work. Really poor. Il Vento gives some hope that it still might turn out for the good. It starts with a gentle poppy sweet melody and a feathery violin that evokes the most peaceful Italian sunset you can imagine. But it doesn't last long. Le Orme have sunk so deep that they've given up their identity and sacrificed the one thing that made them special. They added electric guitars! Now I wouldn't mind guitars if they were inspired, for all I care I'd indulge a 10 minute didgeridoo solo if it inspired the musicians to anything good. But the cheap rock blues platitude of this guitar lead is downright amateur. It must be the most cliché piece of AOR guitar soloing I've heard in ages. The continuation of the song sticks to syrupy pop. And if you needed a refill of the cheesy starter, you will be served with no less then three flavours of it over the course of the menu. I mean album.

I've tried very hard to find anything worthy in this 14 tracks counting disappointment. There are a few flashes of inspiration, but none of them come without any elementary criticism. Danza Della Terra could have been good if it had been recorded in 1972, but coming from 2001 it is pompous and absurd. It also fully exposes the terrible drum sound on this album. Michi Dei Rossi's drums used to create a solid base in Le Orme's 70's sound, but here they are thin and flat, ruined by the reverby production values. Still the song is a rare point of light in this dull display of tasteless synths and pop song writing. Lord of the Dance might be pulled off reasonably well by any young band of neo-proggers but Le Orme sounds so old and tired on it. The same goes for Il Respiro. With Dove tutto è they use a sitar and some more violin. It makes for a good intro. Too bad they spoiled the tension by adding the lacklustre drums.

Elementi is an album that might appeal to fans of neo-prog but it has nothing to do with the Italian Progressive Rock that I've come to appreciate recently. It has none of the imaginative song writing or any of the warm melancholic charm that marked Le Orme's classic output. Avoid. Almost 1 star.

Perhaps I am growing soft in my middle age. Once again, I find that a seemingly mediocre effort becomes an excellent one in the space of a few attentive auditions. Sure, it's true that I am a pretty big LE ORME fan, but not at all a blind apologist, and this album did appear at first to typify the classic sound of this classic band without capturing its spirit. The main theme of "Danza Del Vento" would seem to be the primary culprit, a bland B movie sci fi theme that keeps coming back on us like a cheap buffet meal. When looking beyond this misstep and even considering it as a mood setter for a cohesive subdivided suite, I am left rather impressed that such wizzened proggers could proffer such a...er...cohesive subdivided suite.

The first sign that all is well is the intricately and lovingly constructed "Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte", with one of the only guitar solos of note on the vintage keyboard dominated disk. Aldo guides us on an emotionally charged encounter with the sensual elements. From here, the short instrumental pieces interlock the short songs in compendium style, with inspiring results, chiefly due to brilliant synth work, vocals and melodies, be it the uplifting "Risveglio", the fiery "Lord of Dance", or the reverent "Canto di preghiera". Even the scat like vocals of "Il Respiro" connect to the primordial in both man and prog. And, as if we couldn't spot the pedigree, the sitars of "Dove Tutto E!" remind us from whence we came, blended artfully with Andrea Bassato's violin.

While the nostalgia factor of le Orme's best seventies albums will always trump the recent releases, it's clear from this mature and lovingly compiled effort that they remain an elemental force in RPI.

After faltering with a somewhat less than successful attempt to create a grandiose and pompous opening with "Danza Del Vento - Prima Parte", Le Orme quickly settle back in to what they do best: deliver romantic, lyrical, melodic, progressive rock songs. (Throughout this album they will explore different arrangements and variations on this same melodic theme, each of which will be more interesting, convincing and moving.) My advice? Start with track #2 and come back to the "opening track" after you have heard the rest of the album. You will enjoy it much more that way.

The pieces on "Elementi" are generally more concise than their output in the 70's (which is not always a bad thing). "Il Vento, il Cielo e la Notte", the longest song on the album, clocks in at a modest 7:16, not overstaying its welcome for even the briefest of moments.

Fans of their classic 70's albums may question the inclusion of electric guitar. Rather than dominate the arrangements, however, guitar parts serve to provide a welcome contrast to the many passages which are still duly dominated by alternatingly delicate and powerful keyboards. Vocals are - of course - excellent as one would expect from Le Orme.

Whether you are a curious child of the 1990's who is new to Le Orme, or a middle aged progger who already owns all of their 70's albums, if you are looking for a new Italian prog CD to explore, you could certainly do far worse than this 2001 album of well composed, recorded and performed neo-prog songs of Le Orme, one of the truly classic bands from the pages of prog-rock history.

"Elementi" (Elements) was released in 2001 on the independent label Crisler Records and it's the second chapter of Le Orme's new deal. The line up features Aldo Tagliapietra (vocals, bass, guitar, sitar), Michi Dei Rossi (drums, percussion, glockenspiel, tubular bells), Michele Bon (organ, keyboards, guitar simulator, vocals) and Andrea Bassato (piano, keyboards, violin, vocals). The latter, former member of a band called Mysia, took the place of Francesco Sartori when he left for a more remunerative collaboration with Andrea Bocelli. The album is a conceptual work about the four elements (air, earth, water and fire) and features an art cover by Paul Whitehead. Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based but do not worry about it. This work is not a boring treaty of philosophy put awkwardly in music and lyrics just draw images to stir your emotions as the music flows. It is conceived as a long suite and on the booklet you find a quote from the Indian mystic and spiritual teacher Osho... "We rise into beauty, into joy and into dance and dancing we melt into beauty and into joy". Well, the result is absolutely convincing, "Elementi" is rich in ideas and full of perfectly balanced vintage atmospheres and up to date sounds.

The opener "Danza del vento (prima parte)" (Wind dance ? first part) begins soflty, then Michele Bon's guitar emulator leads the dance perfectly interacting with a lively rhythm section. Then the wind calms down and on "Il vento, il cielo e la notte" (The wind, the sky and the night) acoustic guitar and violin draw a dreamy atmosphere while lyrics evoke an ideal and silent ancient world where darkness sheltered the dreams and the wind carried away sadness and lies... "Into the silence of time at the beginning of the world / When the wings of darkness kept safe the Dream / The wind run after a whisper of clouds... When every memory will be nothing but prayer / When every regret will be light snow / Heaven will cry its love tears... Night will spread its dark curtain...".

After "Danza del vento (seconda parte)" (Wind dance ? second part), a short reprise of the opening theme, the atmosphere becomes heavier and darker and on the following "Danza della terra" (Earth dance) Heaven gives way to Earth. The sound of a gong and recitative vocals introduce the next track, "Risveglio" (Awakening). "And He, dancing, will destroy every name and form to bring back a new peace...". The mood is mystical, on Earth everything comes to life and goes through a constant change until it dies... "Earth where I wake up, dream of freedom... Earth of hope, mother who never betrays...". Next comes the ethereal instrumental break "Canto di preghiera" (Song of prayer) that leads to the lively "Lord Of Dance"... "Lord of Dance, if you hold the holy breath there can be no thought... no flow... no life in my soul...".

From Earth to Water. A thunder followed by a delicate piano solo pattern introduce the beautiful and calm instrumental "Danza della pioggia" (Rain dance) that leads to "Dove tutto è!" (Where everything is!). It's an acoustic track where sitar and violin give and exotic touch to a bright and serene soaring melody. Like a light rain, that melody can carry away melancholic nights... "There... Where everything is!". Next comes "Luce dorata" (Golden light), a short organ driven track... "Morning star, where are you? / Please, light hope in my eyes / Sing me songs about dreams and illusions / I will listen to you...".

From Water to Fire. "Danza del fuoco" (Fire dance) is an instrumental with psychedelic nuances leading to the fiery "Il respiro" (The breath). "The body is fire / Matter is fire / Energy is fire / I live a life of fire / Source of the world... Nature is fire... I follow the way of fire...". A lively reprise of "Danza del vento (terza parte)" (Wind dance ? third part) leads to the conclusion of "Risveglio (ripresa)" (Awakening ? Reprise) where vocals and tubular bells reveal that the four elements are just parts of the same entity... "I'm the Earth and I give my treasures / I'm the wind and I fly towards my dreams / I'm the rain and I quench the fears / I'm the fire and I light this universe...".

Well, on the whole a very good album, essential for every Italianprog lover!

Following the great success of ''Il fiume'' (the album sold about 50,000 copies within a year), Le Orme had a memorable performance at the Progfest 97' in Los Angeles but also had to deal with the departure of Sartori, who was replaced by Andrea Bassato.The next couple of years were full of concerts in Italy, Canada and Mexico among other countries and in 2001 the band returns with another new release.''Elementi'' , featuring a cover by famous surrealist painter Paul Whitehead, was a concept album around the human through the metaphor of the four elements that compose the material universe.

Another huge effort by Le Orme, which combine their past style with a new, refreshing and modern approach.The synthesizers of Michele Bon are eventually a significant part of Le Orme's music along with some electronic sounds, but there are long parts with dominant organ and grand piano to satisfy any fan of vintage Italian Prog.The new millenium finds Tagliapietra in a great shape.His voice remains romantic and sensitive, his acoustic guitar still creates lovely and emotional sounds and it is now combined with some delicate background synths.Additionally he delivers some excellent and thrilling guitar solos to send any guitar virtuoso home.The symphonic sound is for once more the trademark of the band: Nice interplays, lovely harmonies and Classical interludes are still on menu and as great as ever.And even some complex parts with organ and a very solid rhythm section can be detected at moments.The concept of the album works perfectly, all tracks are tightly connected with smooth piano/acoustic interludes giving their place to grandiose Neo/Symphonic Prog of first class.

Any doubts about the sound Le Orme would follow after ''Il fiume'' have faded for good.This is absolutely great and fresh Symphonic Progressive Rock with this beautiful Italian flavor throughout and comparable to the greatest works of the band from the 70's.Highly recommended.

"Elementi" is an excellent release by Le Orme from 2001 which I have only recently acquired. It is the second release in a trilogy that started with "Il Fiume" and marks a triumphant return to form after some poor albums in the 1980's and early 1990's.

There has been changes to the line-up and only Aldo Tagliapietra and drummer Michi Dei Rossi remain from the 1970's. Michele Bon who first appeared on their previous album is back on keyboards and is joined by newcomer Andrea Bassato also on keyboards and violin. The new guys have injected a freshness to the music, given it more vitality. In places there is almost a hint of neo prog in the keyboard and guitar playing. I don't mean that in any derogatory way, it just gives the music a more contemporary feel, so rather than rehash the Le Orme sound of the 1970's they have evolved, progressed even.

Aldo Tagliapietra's voice is in fine form. As I don't speak Italian that vocals just become part of the music for me. The musicanship is first class, outstanding keyboard work, superb drumming, and great sitar playing on track 9 "Dove Tutto E'!" gives an eastern flavour to that track. This is followed by a majestic keyboard sound on next track.

The individual tracks on the album (all 14 of them) are short but the music seems to flow along almost seamlessly across many of the tracks so it doesn't sound like a collection of short pieces at all.

Overall the album has a joyous uplifting mood. It is one of the best releases by Le Orme in a long time. Maybe not quite a masterpiece but nevertheless it is a superb piece of music.

Having rediscovered their creative enthusiasm making the 1996 album "Il Fiume", Le Orme returned five years later with the second volume in what would eventually become a loosely-bound trilogy drawn around the endless cycles of life and nature: good thematic fodder for a re-born Progressive Rock band. The new music was even more overtly, unashamedly Proggish than before, composed as if in preparation for another NEARfest performance, with louder synths, less acoustic guitars, and a not unattractive air of dramatic bombast.

The cloud within that silver lining was an unfortunate tendency toward Neo-Prog posturing, perhaps a natural side-effect of the band's renewed vigor and confidence. You can hear it clearly in Aldo Tagliapietra's insecure electric guitarmanship, and in an unconvincing opening synthesizer motif sounding like Tony Banks working through a mid-life crisis. Francesco Satori's elegant acoustic piano from "Il Fiume" is missed, but the expressive violin of newcomer Andrea Bassato brings the music closer to the classic RPI ideals of Le Orme's youth. It's too bad his skills are underutilized here.

In its better moments, and especially during the purely instrumental breaks ("Danza Della Terra"; "Danza Della Pioggia"; the cool sitar groove of "Dove Tutto È!"), the album presents a calculated, crowd-pleasing throwback to Golden Age Progressive Rock excellence, performed by veterans. And yet the contrarian spoilsport in me has a nagging reservation or two. I have to wonder if Le Orme are simply opportunists switching musical hats with each new decade, from psychedelic boppers in the 1960s to Prog Rock stars in the 1970s to synth-pop wannabes in the '80s...and then just as quickly taking their prog-colored duds out of mothball storage when the twenty-year nostalgia cycle turned 360-degrees.

Too much of the album sounds like a retro-Prog contrivance rather than a natural artistic impulse: the sort of Prog-by-numbers experience that excites our more conservative instincts (and isn't a conservative Proghead the ultimate oxymoron?) But at the end of the day it's the music that actually matters, not the amateur five-and-dime critical analysis from a nitpicking party pooper. On its own terms this would have to be considered one of the strongest Le Orme albums since the late 1970s. But the '70s ended a long time ago...

The same Le Orme sense of melody and structure delivered via modern instruments (and some old) and recording techniques--with two keyboard players taking the place of 1970s wizard Antonio Pagliuca.

- Vento - 1. "Danza Del Vento - Part I (3:36) classic Le Orme melodies and structures with excellent modern drumming. Aldo only delivers a narrator's intro here. (8.75/10) 2. "Il Vento, Il Cielo E La Notte" (7:16) gentle, sparsely decorated opening with Aldo singing in his higher registers turns heavier with drums and seering guitar solo at the end of the second minute. I love the clarity with which each instrument/track is rendered. Quite reminiscent of some of Tony Banks' more romantic songs. (13.25/15) 3. "Danza Del Vento - Part II" (1:29) repeat of the main theme from the previous two songs with full band and dominating electric guitar solo. (4.25/5) - Terra - 4. "Danza Della Terra" (2:22) feels like a continuation with slight variation on the main theme and textures of the previous suite. Cool effect of bass and drum hits paired up percussively. Hammond solo. Obviously a introductory piece. Again, I am impressed with this drummer and the sound used to capture his kit. (4.5/5) 5. "Risveglio" (3:59) not-Aldo (?) singing about "terra" over arpeggiated multi-level weave of keyboards and "guitars". Very simple structure, like a ballad. (8.667/10) 6. "Canto Di Preghiera" (1:59) solo choir sounds like a monastic chant--until the electric piano comes in--and then bass and drums. Cool. (4.5/5) 7. "Lord Of Dance" (2:52) very ELP sounding opening as band takes off at a fast pace while synths solo. Singing in English! (4.5/5) - Pioggia 8. "Danza Della Pioggia" (2:38) saccharine solo "piano" opens this one for rain. It's as pretty as any 1970s film love theme. Unfortunately, the keyboard sounds used are a bit dated (cheap computer-rendered piano sound). (4.5/5) 9. "Dove Tutto E'! (4:40) sitar, percussion and Aldo open this one. Violin takes bridge between verses and then sticks around, continuing its melodic delivery. More percussives precede a sitar solo. When full band finally joins in and congeals beneath the sitar it's quite nice--like a George Harrison jam. (9/10) 10. "Luce Dorata" (1:29)~ "church" organ beneath Aldo's plaintive voice. Arp synth replaces Aldo for a very church- like finale. (4.33/5) - Fuoco - 11. "Danza Del Fuoco" (2:41) 1960s lounge jazz organ with piano-led jazz combo. Very 60s-sounding. Nice! (4.5/5) 12. "Il Respiro" (2:21) Not a fan of this vocal section where the music goes kind of rockabilly. (4/5) 13. "Danza Del Vento - Part III" (3:38) sounds like a Vangelis opening but then everything breaks into a celebratory dance. The whole rhythm track here throws me off. (4.25/5). 14. "Risveglio - Reprise" (1:27) an emotional reprise, as titled. (4.25/5)

Total Time: 42:27

Modern drums and mature, sophisticated composition skills make Le Orme a continued force in the RPI world. Plus, with such a variety of sounds and styles I can't help but give these guys some credit.

B/four stars; a very nice product from some old masters (with young recruits).