Grasshopper

For StefanoHab: one of Mozart's great merits, especially concerning his later works, is having laid the groundwork to overcome that neoclassical bombast you speak of, paving the way for the depth of expression typical of Romanticism. You mentioned Beethoven and Chopin: coincidentally, there are serious musicologists (not hobbyist reviewers like me) who see in Concerto K 466 a distinctly pre-Romantic and particularly pre-Beethovenian work, and in the Andante of K 482 clear anticipations of Chopin's Romantic pianism. It is also true that Mozart's youthful works are sometimes frivolous, although always formally perfect. But here we are talking about a different Mozart.

I know "Giovanna d'Arco" in De Andrè's version (from "Canzoni" in 1974). I didn’t mention it because I don’t consider it a masterpiece on par with the two that I did mention. That line from "Bird on the Wire" that I quoted doesn’t seem disconnected from the rest of the song to me; rather, it encapsulates all those beautiful metaphors you recall. However, interpretations, especially in the case of non-elementary lyrics like these, can vary, and this diversity, in my opinion, shouldn't influence the judgment on the review.

Oops, I hadn't read your previous message well: my advice on "Das Lied Von Der Erde" is perfectly useless then. I'll take the opportunity to also mention the Second Symphony "Resurrection," currently my favorite (with Mahler, I tend to go through phases).

Welcome to the "loggione" of debaser, which has recently opened up to classical music as well. Of course, no one here is exactly an "expert" in this genre; we are all passionate amateurs, more or less competent, so the initial justification wasn't necessary, especially since it's contradicted by the quality of the review, which is excellent. As often happens, I find myself agreeing with Hal on the interpretation of the first and second movements, but I fully agree with you in identifying the expressive center of the entire symphony as the third movement, which has little to envy from the "Adagietto" of the 5th, except for the fact that Visconti didn't choose it for any film. I don't know which Mahler symphonies you don't know, but if the Sixth is among them, I'd place it as my first recommendation. Anyway, it's easier to say that it's worth getting to know them all, from the First to the hypnotic and splendid single movement called "Tenth," and while I'm at it, I also recommend the beautiful Lieder "Das Lied Von Der Erde" and "Kindertotenlieder" (you already know "Das Knaben Wunderhorn") and I'd also mention the Piano Quartet, a little gem of chamber music, unfortunately unique.

I confirm that "Branduardi canta Yeats" was the last flourish of our minstrel, and indeed I enthusiastically reviewed it. What came after is quite mediocre, while the review seems to me more than good.

To the annoyed twenty-year-old: I believe I said "most twenty-year-olds." If someone isn't indifferent and proves me wrong, all the better; I'm the first to rejoice, even though regarding this matter I see quite a bit of gray.

Aniel, I appreciate your honesty and I'm glad that in this case the review, once again quite long, didn't bore you. On the other hand, I can't hold myself back; in fact, I would like to write much more.

Underappreciated by critics (see Scaruffi), for me, along with "New Gold Dream," it’s the best by Simple Minds. Imaginative melodies, almost at a level of 70s progressive rock, combined with modern (for the time) electronic sounds—over an hour of great music, even if Peter Gabriel's original "Biko" frankly seems like a different thing, if only for the voice. "Let it all come down" is spine-chilling. P.S. Seen Luca, or senior86 as you wish to call him, that we agree on something? Just don’t talk about Ramazzotti!

A difficult discourse that holds true, now more than ever, for a large number of Italian singer-songwriters. Excluding Paolo Conte and Ivano Fossati, true musicians, for the others, even great ones like De André and Guccini, the music is always functional to the lyrics. Although De André, for instance, especially thanks to the careful choices of skilled collaborators, has become more and more convincing over the years as a musician, the same applies to Guccini for the same reasons. Certainly, for Gaber, the music is little more than a backdrop: I have included "non classificabile" among the de-generi because the "teatro-canzone" voice is not included in the debaser list. His work is both theater and song, but at the heart of it all lies the word. In any case, in this album, as well as in the subsequent and unfortunately final "Io non mi sento italiano," the songs have been re-presented with music that is more than acceptable, especially compared to the spartan recordings of the theatrical performances.

For morningstar: regarding anarchism and run-of-the-mill populism, it is true that a phrase like the one I mentioned (“But how, with all the freedoms you have, do you also want the freedom to think?”) may seem like a no-brainer, but the problem is that, despite being so obvious, find me someone who has the courage to say it, or to remind us of the same concept in different words. Search and search, you will find few names: Beppe Grillo, Dario Fo, Michele Serra. Gaber didn't only say this, but the (already lost) fight against conformity was at the heart of all his art, because once you’ve reduced people to a flock of obedient sheep, you can make them swallow anything, like in “L'Obeso”: peace, war, Berlusconi, the mafia, Marco Masini, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Gaber saw conformity as the root of many evils, if not all of them, and I wholeheartedly agree.