Le Orme
ClassicOrme

THE REVIEW

In the Internet era, acknowledging changes in music making and its enjoyment is not at all easy. Engaging in something new is a very daring thing and thus alternated with the release of even honorable works, so that presenting one's key works in different guises has become good and right as a necessary integration of a long and exceedingly estimable artistic journey. After more than 50 years of life dedicated to personal and ingenious music writing, Le Orme by Michi Dei Rossi (the only member of the original lineup after the departure of founder Aldo Tagliapietra in 2009), return with the new CLASSICORME which, in addition to featuring new recordings of some historical tracks in a classical version, includes three perfectly contextualized unreleased tracks.

For the vocal interpretation, the choice of tenor Eero Lasorla and soprano Marta Centurioni dispels any doubt about the exclusive commercial aim of the operation, which, to the eyes (or rather the ears) of even the least savvy listener, can only make the record in question appear as a heartfelt artistic endeavor and anything but superfluous.

The excerpt from "Ciaccona" by J.S. Bach introduces straightforwardly to the special atmosphere of this work, involving a string quintet where violins and viola together with the cello, seem to reflect one another in the full and gentle rhythmical guidance of the double bass. In full romance style comes "Una dolcezza nuova" where it's the piano, and not the keyboards that were Tony Pagliuca's in the original version, that creates a subtle instrumental texture counterbalanced by the high tenor extensions, capable of conveying melancholy without boredom. "Breve Immagine" merits an exuberant first interpretation with two voices, where the alternation between the two exceptional vocalists manages to showcase the ductility of a track that was part of QUELL'UOMO DI PEZZA (1972), which earned the first gold record for the Marghera group. To interrupt the historical continuity of the pieces comes the "Preludio" by Dei Rossi and Roversi, where the pianist and Brazilian violinist Marcus Viana create an enchanting and prodigious atmosphere capable of gently leading to the listening of longer tracks of the album ("Storia o Leggenda" and "Angelo") that remain magnificently pleasant together with the effective revival of more recent tracks ("L'infinito" and "La Via della Seta" from their eponymous albums of 2004 and 2011 respectively). Although many will emit a slight shiver at the compositional genius of the second brief excerpt from "La Porta Chiusa", the sense of positivity that permeates "Sulle Ali di un Sogno" and "Aria" (both unreleased), renders them no less appreciable than the subtle charm that emerges from the new guise for the occasion of the timeless "Gioco di Bimba".

This latest disc (recorded at Tiny Castle Studio in Mantova), although released under the name Le Orme, was conceived and developed predominantly by its unfading and historical drummer Michi Dei Rossi who, making use of Cristiano Roversi's expertise and a substantial group of pure musicians, has realized a product of high quality that will find space in the discographies of lovers of a certain classical, as well as those of the more open-minded fans of the Venetian band.