Search - Le Orme :: Florian

A wonderful change of direction for this Italian prog band

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 05/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the time of the release of this album (1979), a lot of prog bands had either packed it in, or had shifted to a style that emphasized jazz rock, British symphonic pop, or American arena rock. Not Le Orme however - they opted for a change in direction that emphasized folk and classical styles.



This album is really interesting in that while Le Orme had simplified their style like a lot of the prog giants, they made a dramatic shift in direction by scoring their pieces solely for acoustic instruments. Specifically, Aldo Tagliapietra now played cello and classical guitar (in addition to his vocal parts), Antonio Pagliuca played acoustic piano, harpsichord, and the harmonium (a reed keyboard instrument), drummer Giuseppe dei Rossi had abandoned the drum kit and played a host of percussion instruments including vibraphone, marimba, and the glockenspiel, while guitarist Germano Serafin played violin, acoustic guitar, buzuky, and the mandolin.



The result of the dramatic change in instrumentation is a highly melodic and peaceful album of acoustic music that is rich in melody and acoustic textures. The percussion instruments really add quite a lot and I actually find it preferable to a full drum kit at times.



All in all, this is an excellent album that presents a pleasant change of direction for a prog band in the late 1970s. Highly recommended along with Uomo di pezza (1972), Felona e Serona (1973), Contrapuntti (1974), and Storia O Leggenda (1977). For those of you that like the acoustic direction, they would continue this approach on Piccola Rapsodia Dell'Ape (1980)."

Terrific change in direction.

Jeffrey J.Park | 01/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike previous efforts this recording is an all-acoustic effort. This was rather a brave endeavor given the time of it's recording (1979). The world was turning it's collective ear to punk and new wave and acoustic recordings were decidedly unpopular. It's a shame as this disc ranks among Le Orme's finest efforts. This and the follow up Piccola Rapsodia Dell'Ape, also an acoustic effort, are highly recommended...Simon"