Alex Masi
In The Name Of Mozart

LA RECENSIONE

It's tough being a guitar virtuoso, even more so when many people who know you define you as an unnecessary clone of the much-lauded Yngwie Malmsteen, certainly talented, but still a clone. This, in a nutshell, is what Alex Masi, a guitar virtuoso from our Beautiful Country, has had to face, being too often and unfairly identified as a sterile Italian copy of Mr. Sausage (Malmsteen). Equipped with a great technique, varied and never excessive, it seems our artist has nothing to envy Malmsteen for, both from a technical (sorry for the repetition) and melodic standpoint; Masi's great ability lies precisely in being able to make melodies that don't belong to him his own, so to speak. In the beautiful yet controversial "In The Name Of Mozart," he tackles classical scales and solos that would make anyone envious.

The album is divided into seven fantastic little works, all written by the great classical music master Mozart, which enjoy excellent rearrangements, masterfully conducted by Masi's guitar. The track-list (comprised of "Allegro From Eine Kleine Nacht," "Romanza From Eine Kleine Nacht," "Allegro C Maj K.545," "Guitar (Piano) Concerto #24 C," "Rondò Alla Turca A Maj K.331," "Andante K.545," and "Thema With 12 Variations D Maj") doesn't need a song-by-song description, given the fame of the pieces, but instead should be analyzed in its entirety and complexity, showing itself to be rich and deliciously played by Masi alone except for the fourth track, which, for obvious orchestral reasons, is accompanied by an orchestra (the Vienna Symphony Orchestra).

Ultimately, the album certainly shows how much passion and love this fantastic guitarist has for classical music, but it also demonstrates the technical prowess of a guitarist who, as mentioned, is too easily downgraded and "accused" of things that don’t concern him at all, neither in style nor technical preparation (Malmsteen’s clone). As for the sound, the album boasts more than pleasant production, with sounds that are well-defined and finely balanced.