IL TEMPO DELLA GIOIA

Quella Vecchia Locanda's Il Tempo Della Gioia is the first RPI album I will review, because it is simply one of the best pickups I've had since coming to the Prog Archives. Although I am a relative RPI newbie, I have actually sampled a fair bit of Italian Prog on internet radio, and even purchased one album by Le Orme prior to ordering this one. But despite the language and unlike other Italian works, this album's brilliance transcends its genre. Played alongside Genesis, Anglagard, Yes, or King Crimson, this album easily holds up. It is simply brilliant and should have a place in any prog library.

After making some pretty hefty claims, a little justification seems in order. First of all, this band is true symphonic rock, that is, a fusion of rock and classical music. Many, if not all, of the musicians are classically trained in both performance and composition. The primary instruments are piano, violin, flute, clarinet over a traditional electric bass and trapset rhythm section. There is actually a little electric guitar, but it is a minor voice in the mix. Still, there is clearly plenty of rock emotion in this music, plenty of experimentation, and large doses of dynamic risk-taking.

The compositional component is what sets this above so many others like it. The choral voices are extremely complex. The interweaving lines of the winds are orchestrated better than any other album of its kind. Like Anglagard or Larks' Tongues KC, dissonance, shading, and use of space is abundant. QVL use so many different colors and sounds, there are surprises and novel sonic experiences up until the very end of the (too short) album. The final track is simply astounding. These aren't rockers or amateurs dabbling in more complex music. These are professionally trained players making music that crosses into rock.

I found this album by asking for suggestions for the most symphonic, that is, classically influenced and meticulously composed, albums in prog. I got tips that became a list of amazing albums. This one is the best. Given the fact that I believe that the fusion of classical music and prog is one of the pillars of what prog is, I believe this album not only belongs among our list of masterpiece albums, but among the elites like Hybris, Si Avait, and Larks' Tongues.

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