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Rating: I write after attending a live show by this "guy," now quite grown-up. For the quality of the instrumental performances, the empathy generated in the audience, the atmosphere created, and the attention to sound, I place the show in the top 20 concerts I've attended (I'm nearing 300 now).
That night, after half an hour of applause and encores, Cristiano found himself having to gift us with unplanned tracks, improvising on his own; the audience, all standing, didn't want to let him leave.
The CD, the second in the series, struggles (like the first) to truly convey the atmosphere that enveloped me that summer night, but more experienced ears will immediately recognize that the quality of the performances is absolutely above average. First and foremost, an unparalleled instrumentalist, the excellent Cristiano stands out, displaying a confidence with five or six instruments more than enough to make anyone who's ever tried their hand at the noble art want to quit. Guitar, piano, bouzouki, and most notably, violin, are all the same to him. Thumbs up, among others, also to the young guitarist, truly top-notch.
The songs need no introduction or special comments, as they are part of our culture. I'll limit myself to solely highlighting the good taste with which the tracks have been rearranged and modernized, preserving the original intentions, which few like Cristiano De André know intimately. The version of "Un Giudice" is extraordinary, and "Crueza de ma" is chilling.
Closing your eyes, those who have been fortunate enough to be accompanied over the years by the magic of the original versions can only smile at the thought of how peculiar nature is, given that it allows, 40 years later, listening to a voice that seems like the one from back then, enjoying the music's vibrations and the lyrics of an exceptional artist, who appears reborn in the body, spirit, and soul of that slightly shy big guy who, sitting in the middle of the stage, gets emotional over those immense tracks as much as or more than the audience.
Among the 12 tracks, Cristiano's name, as the author, appears only in "cose che dimentico" and only live in "dietro la porta." Beyond that, I recommend everyone let themselves be captivated by the magic of this journey offered by the extraordinary multi-instrumentalist from Genoa, who deserves and more than deserves all the applause that I and others have given him.
For now, that's enough... when I find out who the author of those wonderful songs is, I'll let you know...
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