Höstsonaten
Springsong

Höstsonaten or rather Fabio Zuffanti is synonymous with good music, and in this album, the goal is achieved. Excellent quality, excellent music, and many, many emotions, a perfect mix of progressive and classical atmospheres with not-so-hidden streaks of folk music and slight hints of Celtic music.

"Springsong" is the first album of the four episodes dedicated to the seasons and is so far one of the sunniest and most relaxing even though there are obviously more markedly melancholic episodes, a true awakening from the long winter hibernation accompanied by the sweet sound of Francesca Biagini's flute and the delicate yet never clichéd acoustic guitar arpeggios of Stefano Marelli and Fabio Zuffanti (who, besides being obviously the bassist of the group, is also the composer and author of all the songs).

Zuffanti's music this time wraps the listener in a soft and warm embrace of notes and feelings that from the first track are more alive and pulsating than ever. Already from the very first arpeggios of "The Open Fields" accompanied by bass and flute, which here creates a sweet and relaxing atmosphere, the group's intentions are clearly evident, a symphonic progressive rock with extensive forays into typical classical music structures with the insertion of Sergio Caputo's violin (already a collaborator with Finisterre).

The musical theme of the first track is entirely reprised in the subsequent "Kemper / Springtheme" and "Living Stone And 1st Reprise", but the rhythm section becomes more robust with the addition of Federico Foglia's drums, and the melodic solos of Marelli's electric guitar constitute the energetic and vital rock component of the work in contrast with the romance of the violin and flute, which Höstsonaten perfectly blends to create a marvelous and fascinating interplay of atmospheres. Violin and flute that craft dreamy melodies that chase and lull each other until the introduction of Edmondo Romano's soprano sax (Eris Pluvia, Avarta, Orchestra Bailam).

"She Sat Writing Letters On The Riverbank" seems to put an end to these dreamy atmospheres, to these light balances, the piano notes of Boris Valle introduce the violin that sweeps away the sun from the spring sky, like the wind before a storm, yet it is melancholic, veiled with sadness and despair until the cinematic quote from Andrei Tarkovsky (The Mirror, 1974):

"And your violet-tinted eyelids were still, and warm your hand. And in the crystal, the rivers pulsed, the mountains smoked, the sea shimmered. And you held the crystal sphere, and you slept on the throne, and, God! you were mine. Then you awoke, and transforming the everyday human vocabulary, you loudly proclaimed -You!- And the word unveiled its true meaning, and it became czar" (poetry by Arseny Tarkovsky).

A pulsating bass opens "The Underwater And 2nd Reprise" in a barely hinted free jazz that soon opens into a guitar solo that clears and sweeps away the previous storm and reintroduces in "Lowtide" the violin and flute which this time seem to hint at a dense dialogue in a psychedelic and estranging atmosphere, the space of a song though, because the piano notes of the subsequent "The Wood Is Alive With The Smell Of The Rain" introduce a festive and joyful atmosphere with a lively flute and the playful interaction of synthesizers and electronics with a Hammond organ-like ending to introduce the fast and pressing rhythm of "Evocation Of Spring In A Fastdance" where the acoustic guitars seem to hint at flamenco or at least Latino rhythms.

"Toward the Sea", the long final suite divided into three parts (Black Mountains, 3rd Reprise, Springland) is an epic progressive-style ride that alternates fast rhythms with more relaxed and calm ones. The fast and pressing start with the flute accompanied by the faint violin that slowly gains speed, overshadowing it, and introducing the first solo by Marelli, a liberating solo that soon dissipates like a wave in a calm and flat sea. Again, the flute and delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios outline Irish folk landscapes, in a crescendo of intensity that explodes again in Marelli's final solo, even more intense and captivating than before, introducing bagpipes, flutes, and the organ in the background to close it all.

Progressive yes, but it's a too limiting label for this work, which, as mentioned, spans many musical realms, touches on folk and popular music, and draws heavily from the classical and progressive repertoire (Canterbury school, Camel, and Caravan above all), the final suite is a clear example. Music of great class, attention to detail and production, and the creativity and brilliance of Zuffanti make it a great album. Recommended!