Grasshopper

DeRank ™: 5,88

DeAge™ : 7973 days • Here since 11 august 2004

Angelo Branduardi Branduardi canta Yeats

18 nov 05

Voto:

I have aged wandering / through valleys and hills / but I will know in the end where it has gone / I will kiss her and take her by the hand / we will walk through the variegated grass / until the end of time we will gather / the silver apples of the moon / the golden apples of the sun

Angelo Branduardi Branduardi canta Yeats

18 nov 05

Voto:

I’ve grown old wandering
through valleys and hills,
but in the end, I will know where she has gone,
I will kiss her and take her by the hand;
we will walk through the variegated grass,
until the end of time we will gather
the silver apples of the moon,
the golden apples of the sun.

(from "The Song of Wandering Aengus")

Add some beautiful music…

Francesco Guccini Quello che non...

18 nov 05

Voto:

For me, it is even a masterpiece, one of many from Guccini's maturity. "Canzone delle domande consuete" is undoubtedly the best, but "Le ragazze della notte" can also touch you deeply. Guccini's voice doesn't seem so bad to me; it's baritone, "serious," and imposing, as befits his songs. Among singer-songwriters, there is much worse.

João Gilberto Live at Umbria Jazz

17 nov 05

Voto:

Unfortunately, I don't know this album, but I have a splendid collection of Joao Gilberto from days gone by, where he sings with his wife Astrud and now and then the sax of a certain Stan Getz makes an appearance, fully immersed in the Brazilian drunkenness. Almost all the songs are by Antonio Carlos Jobim, and so far I haven't found any other interpreter more faithful to the father of Brazilian music. The crazy thing is that this collection can be found in the trash bins of UPIM or other stores mixed in with Raoul Casadei, Orietta Berti, and company, for the same price. Joao Gilberto's selection would be worth 5 in itself, and so is the review.

Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto

16 nov 05

Voto:

For me, this violin concerto comes just after the great Romantic concertos (Brahms and Mendelssohn above all) which, in turn, are a step just below Beethoven's "monument." I never understood why it doesn’t appear more frequently in concert programs. I recommend an "acrobatic" version by Zino Francescatti with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein, but I must also listen to this. I have heard very little from Shlomo Mintz, and I've been told that's not a good thing. Congratulations on the choice.

Jan Dismas Zelenka Trio Sonatas

14 nov 05

Voto:

John Of P. has the gift of uncovering all the composers I've heard about (great in this case) whom I don't know. Given the quality of the reviews, my desire to fill these gaps grows exponentially.

Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard I valzer

14 nov 05

Voto:

Ahi ahi ahi, another gap to fill! I only know the "Mephisto-waltz" (number 1) and, more generally, relatively little about the great showman of the nineteenth century. As for the review, all I can do is turn towards Mecca and bow to the Mullah, who has become a certainty.

Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel I: Car

14 nov 05

Voto:

I am a fan of Peter Gabriel, so I have the album, but in my opinion, it's still quite underdeveloped here, despite some gems like "Solsbury Hill" and "Humdrum." The breakthrough of the Third album still seems far off. Review or telegram?

Gustav Mahler Sinfonia n° 5

14 nov 05

Voto:

Sir George Solti... and how can one disagree with Hal? I have a Sixth that is by far the best I've ever heard, while for the Fifth I have to "settle" (so to speak) for the classic Berliners with Karajan. Regarding the review, I risk being repetitive, so I'll let the rating speak for itself, implying that it's a solid 5.

Santana Welcome

14 nov 05

Voto:

Perfectly agree: alongside "Caravanserai," the creative peak of Santana & Co.'s long career. Rhythm, but also fantasy and melody. And then, when the artist of reference is John Coltrane, it's difficult (and would be sacrilegious) to make an insignificant record.