Search - Paolo Conte :: Elegia

An expression of passion for music and life from the ultimat

Daniele Graziani | Costa Mesa, CA USA | 12/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Elegia, in Italian, is a word that describes a poetic ideal: an ideology expressed in Italian poetry on and off since the fourteenth century. The main theme of this ideology is that the poet is the lover and the slave of his passion. Usually that passion is centered around a woman, but it oftentimes revolves around the poet's main weaknesses and the love for his own artistic expression. Elegia is the poetry of crying.



Elegia, in my opinion, is Paolo Conte's deepest poetic expression. The uncertainty of the future and the feelings of old people who look back, look forward, and sometimes are too distant from current events to look in any direction at all, are captured in this CD with mastery.



Paolo Conte begins the first song, Elegia, with "Avevo una passione per la musica... cosa faro' di me?" (I HAD a passion for music... what will I do with myself?). This almost brings tears to my eyes as if it was my own parent speaking: it is almost an admission of someone's life coming to an end. He might live longer, but will he be able to express his passion anymore? And if he cannot, will he still be the person he was?



"Non ridere, non ridere, se io cado, inciampo e faccio per andarmene... stringimi, parlami, abbracciami" (Don't laugh, don't laugh, if I fall, if I stumble and get ready to get out of here... hold me, talk to me, hug me)



Although the theme that this could be Paolo Conte's last meaningful poetic expression is pervasive (Chissa': who knows), plenty of songs don't touch on that subject. Sandwich Man is a great portrayal of a male torn between two forces: his love for his loved one and his own inability to assert his needs in a relationship. Bamboolah touches on similar topics.

Sonno Elefante, India, and Frisco make the listener wander into far foreign lands, like many previously released Paolo Conte songs did.

La Casa Cinese, Molto Lontano, and La Nostalgia del Mocambo are great songs, especially if you know what it is like to live in Italy. They combine mondane moments with deep introspective thoughts.

La Vecchia Giacca Nuova is very ironic and sheds a critical light on materialism. That is not surprising if you reflect on the fact that Paolo Conte might be thinking about how will he be remembered. And he tells us that: he wants to be remembered by his music. Molto Lontano spells it out: "m'ascolterai, mi seguirai, ma non m'amerai" (You will listen to me, you will follow me, but you will not love me.)



If you want to be loved back, start by loving someone, not something."

It's Wonderful

Ray Sola | Tucson, AZ USA | 03/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit to not knowing who Paulo Conte was until I researched who the singer was in the movie "Mostly Martha." Now I'm a fan. You don't need to speak Italian to like this. I don't."