FUTURO ANTICO III

On my review of the third Futuro Antigo album, I feel I am repeating myself........... and so is Angelo Branduardi too.

This album was released through the EMI Classics label and is therefore widely available at libraries in the western world. Hence, the high sales figures for this series of four albums.

The music....... sorry to repeat myself, but the music is Angelo's voice on the top of some baroque light classical music. Chamber orchestra with Angelo's voice on the top, I correct this review to. The songs here, or the pieces of music the promotion staff in EMI Classics label would prefer the reviewers to name them as, is pretty dull. In short, this album is as exciting as watching a whale swim slowly across an open ocean. Neither is it classical music either. This is the Italian answer to Elvis Presley's housewives friendly ballads at the end of his life. Only Angelo's voice and the quality of the musicians saves this album from a visit to the turkey-yard. A poor album it is, indeed.

2 stars

Francesca Torelli, the director of the "Ensemble Scintille di Musica" wrote on her blog how this porject was conceived, letting understand that this is more a project of the Ensemble with the participation (and the name) of Angelo Branduardi than a Branduardi's project.

The subtitle "Mantova alla corte dei Gonzaga" (Mantova at the Court of Gonzaga) comes from the fact that the Gonzaga, family who ruled Mantova for about two centuries, were famous for their support to every kind of art, including music.

The album is made of six suites composed of different medieval madrigals, villanelle, or other genres of popular (in these times) music, from different authors but joined together basing on their arguments.

The authors are not much famous. Probably the best known is Monteverdi.

So this is late medieval music, played using original instruments on which Angelo's voice sounds perfect, even though the best moments are probably the instrumentals. The classical guitar of track 9 is something that Steve Hackett would surely like, I think.

For people who loves classical music but also the European folk: British, Celic, Breton and Provencal, just to give an idea. More or less we all come from the same roots. Also Branduardi sings in various languages.

The album cover is part of a painting of Giulio Romano (1499-1546) and represents "Psiche and Eros" that other than being in Mantova is in line with the subject of the six suites that are all about Love and Death.

Not as good as the previous Futuro Antico but good enough. The important advice is: don't think to hear any prog.