Hostsonaten
Summereve

THE REVIEW

No, this is not yet another Swedish prog metal band. Despite the name (which is the title of a Bergman film), Hostsonaten is an entirely Italian project born from the fertile mind of Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, La Maschera di Cera). The cinephile liaison (which led Zuffanti to sprinkle quotes from Tarkovsky, Herzog, and Bergman here and there) should not, however, suggest a soundtrack dimension; the scope is symphonic even though the vintage instrumentation (complete with mellotron, moog, hammond, and fender rhodes) gives the music a typical prog flavor.

"Summereve" (2011), strong with truly excellent sound and production quality, beautifully closed a quadrilogy celebrating the cycle of the seasons which, without wanting to invoke Vivaldi, has few comparisons in our musical landscape.

The bucolic "Springsong", released in 2002, opened the cycle with nostalgia, paying a (not so) small tribute to the Breton Celtic tradition and flirting with the neo-folk of bands like Tangent or Mostly Autumn. With the subsequent "Autumn Symphony" (2008), a jazz feeling from the Canterbury School (Camel above all) was felt, while the majestic "Wintertrough" (2009) recreated magical soundscapes reminiscent of "Wind and Wuthering" with Scandinavian echoes (thanks especially to the clear garbakerian sax of Edmondo Romano),

"Summereve" is certainly the most intimately Italian and therefore the most original chapter of the series. Already the percussion by Fausto Sidri at the opening of "Season's Overture" (which recycles some themes from previous chapters) recalls the frenzied rhythms of the Taranta and evokes, thanks to the exotic breath of the didgeridoo, the spirits of nature.

Then the album is a continuous alternation of ecstatic dances ("Evening Dance", supported by the excellent drumming of Maurizio di Tollo, or the "gypsy" conclusion of "Blackmountains" with violin and flamenco guitar) and more contemplative moments (like the violin, piano, and flute trio at the beginning of "Glares of Light" or the masterful way the oboe and violin blend with the electric piano in "On the Sea") or solemn (the imposing entry of electric guitar, moog, and mellotron in the final climax of "Edge of Summer").

Ultimately, it is a dreamy, oneiric nature evoked by Zuffanti, on the thread of memories as also appears in the poetry recited in "Under Stars"; a charmingly retro extract, from "The Mirror" by Andrei Tarkovsky, fittingly a journey beyond time to childhood in search of the primordial connection with mother earth.