Le Orme
Felona e Sorona

LA RECENSIONE

The harmonious balance of two twin planets has been broken. Felona, "a new party today as yesterday", Sorona "from days now distant, lost in time", has no space for "black swamps". This is the story that Le Orme propose to us, with much grit and simplicity. In this record, the group gives little room for the improvisations that made them famous in previous albums, giving greater emphasis to the lyrics and the musical atmospheres they require, making this album an unprecedented concept in Italian music. For our boys, this is an album of vital importance in their discography, as it will land them in England. The success is not comparable to that of their colleagues in PFM, but they are welcomed very well by the nation, thanks especially to the English version (titled Felona And Sorona, not easy to find in our country), written by Peter Hammil of Van Der Graaf Generator.

"Sospesi Nell'Incredibile" opens the album with modesty and adversity, immediately immersing us in its drama. After the part sung by Aldo Tagliapietra, it continues with an instrumental section that invites us to follow it, intent on understanding what it is describing, then surprising us with a final drum solo. "Felona," wants to describe its happiness with a festive introduction of bells, and a guitar that bridges to Aldo's clear and harmonious voice. The immensity and lightness of the universe, represented by Tony Pagliuca's keyboards and Tagliapietra's cosmic voice, interpret the sad "Solitudine Di Chi Protegge Il Mondo." After the piano accompanies the voice, the synthesizers play melancholic notes leading to the next piece. "L'equilibrio" is the account of what has happened and what is happening, Tagliapietra tells us by singing with a high-pitched voice. A bit further on, the melancholic notes from the previous piece return, but this time with a harmonic background from the Hammond and a drum rhythm covered by other keyboard sounds. An engaging piano improvisation follows, accompanied by a Moog background and a soft drum rhythm, now the spotlight is on the synthesizer, which catapults us into Aldo's "artificial" voice. Anxiety, anguish, tragedy, all of this makes "Sorona" a track that evokes a strong sense of dismay when listened to. The music is built on lyrics speaking of a planet, now withered, extinguished, unlike Felona. The keyboard's background accompaniment is of strong emotional impact. "Attesa Inerte" is a "closed" track, supported by "obsessive" keyboard and bass phrasing. Aldo tries to follow with an "out of tune" voice the distorted notes of the synthesizer. The composition also hints at small harmonic parentheses: "and in the inert wait, they raise hands to the sky...". The only thing Michi Dei Rossi can do with his drums is follow the bass, an indispensable element for this piece. "Ritratto Di Un Mattino" is one of the most cheerful compositions on the record, along with "Felona" and "All'infuori Del Tempo".

As could already be inferred in the previous piece, the balance between the two planets has returned, and the synthesizer notes are (at least seemingly!) the confirmation. Aldo's voice, enriched by echoes, tries to explain to the people of Felona: "you cannot find happiness in yourself, but in the love you will someday give others...!" This is followed by an instrumental section that ends with festive bell chimes and a brief solo piano part by Pagliuca. The aforementioned "All'infuori Del Tempo" confirms that everything has returned for the better. Folk guitar, light gong percussion, and "illuminating" keyboard phrasing make this a soft and enjoyable piece. Unfortunately, this happiness will not last long, and for the finale, a "plot twist" is to be expected. "Ritorno Al Nulla" is a descent into oblivion. The two planets have returned to opposition, bringing us back to gloomy atmospheres, albeit in different "rhythms". In fact, the piece is an "experiment" for keyboards-synthesizer, with vague nuances of Arabic music. In "Felona e Sorona" through metaphor, one is faced with science fiction, loneliness, and indifference to others. Elements that make this a unique concept of its kind.