Serj Tankian - Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana
Elect the Dead Symphony @ Auditorium Parco della Musica (Roma) 05.07.2010

THE REVIEW

Going to see dear Sergino Tankian at the Auditorium Parco della Musica was like meeting up with an old friend who has changed circles: there is the curiosity to know how he's doing, what his new musical associations are, and—above all—to see how he's faring in the new fields he has chosen. Heading to the Roman auditorium of Renzo Piano's design, located in the Parioli area, my pre-concert excitement was just tinged with a certain indescribable fear about the outcome of this latest symphonic experiment. Bringing together orchestral sounds with rock is never easy, especially with one that's more or less metal-styled. The Metallica tried a decade ago, but the result was not the happiest, perhaps because the hybrids born from bass/guitar/drums plus the orchestra behind them went nowhere.

The auditorium's Cavea is a semi-elliptical space that harkens back to Greco-Roman tradition, but reimagined in contemporary forms. Personally, I like the Auditorium, although when wandering through its corridors I've sometimes had the peculiar sensation of being in a gigantic parish hall, perhaps because of the ochre brickwork that covers it, or due to contemporary architecture that in the late twentieth century spared not even churches. Anyway, sitting there, the three enormous shell-shaped rooms loomed over us like immense spaceships on the pleasant summer evening. Judging by the audience turnout, Serj must have had considerable success with his solo album (released three years ago, editor's note), as by the start time it numbered around two thousand to two thousand five hundred people. Scheduled for nine o'clock, it took quite a bit of encouragement from the Cavea stands ("Ser-gio-Ser-gio"), but at nine fifteen, the lights dimmed, and five minutes later, the audience applause welcomed the forty-piece Italian Philharmonic Orchestra, plus piano and acoustic guitar.

Finally, there he is, dressed in white, the good Serj Tankian, who yields to the conductor and then walks on stage, greeting us with a smile. The orchestra kicks off with "Feed Us" (which, by coincidence, is my favorite on "Elect the Dead"). It is followed by a reading of "Borders", which I believe is one of his poems, specifically about the boundaries different cultures impose on humanity. During the performance of "Sky is Over", the impression that Serj's voice absolutely commands the situation is confirmed, and the choice of symphonic-lyrical arrangements is no accident. The best, however, is yet to come, and indeed here are "Money" and "Baby", whose melodic lines are best enhanced by strings and acoustic guitar. Serj feels very much at ease on stage, and is definitely on form: the synchronization between the sonic flow of the orchestra and his movements is perfect; at times he seems to blissfully soar over the notes he has composed. Apparently, the songs added on "Elect the Dead Symphony" were born together with the orchestra, given that "Blue" and the beautiful "Gate 21" (the only piece where Serj sat at the piano) were the emotional high points of the evening.

I've never seen System of A Down live, but Serj alone is truly exuberant: he interacts with the audience and repeatedly introduces the orchestra's musicians, even venturing into Italian ("Buonasera, bellissima Italia.."), instantly creating an intimate, almost magical atmosphere. "Peace Be Revenged" and "Charades", other tracks included in "Elect the Dead Symphony", begin to bring out more a certain epicism in the arrangements, reaching its peak with the triumph of brass and drums in "Saving Us". There's also room for an unreleased song ("Disowned", which immediately seemed very beautiful to me). At a certain point, Serj turns around, giving his back to the audience. "Excusi!.." he tells us while conspiring with the conductor and some musicians. We were wondering if they were instructions on key changes in minor keys or something, but the first violinist whispers something unmistakable. Serj's latest practical Italian lesson reveals the mystery: "This song in Italian is called Beethoven's Cunt.." Roar from the Cavea.

When it seems the concert is about to close and Serj lists the evening's credits, honoring the audience with compliments in Italian (ahò.. he likes it..), he starts to leave, but no one believes it: the instrumentalists remain in their places, betraying the old star trick (call them back in, 40-piece orchestra!..) and from the Cavea, we're even more encouraged to loudly call Serj back on stage. A minute later, there he is, reappearing on stage to perform what had until then been the great absentee of the evening: "Empty Walls". It's the grand finale, and he invites us to rise from our seats and join him at the stage front. He shakes hands and greets the enthusiastic crowd. Someone hands him an Armenian flag, and in the end, the white sprite who has masterfully entertained us for an hour and a quarter bids us farewell, hopping away even more smiling than when he entered. He certainly has personality, just as this project of his is so different from the crossover/thrash metal sounds of System. The fears I had at the beginning of the evening have proven unfounded: Serj has rightly focused on a completely orchestral setup for the songs, adding only piano and guitar. The extra dash is that vaguely lyrical attitude that suits Tankian's beautiful voice so well. And the experiment, in my opinion, has succeeded, even though in these guises it's hard to recreate the "punch" the electric version of the disc provides. Perhaps, though, all things considered, that wasn't the goal.

Sergino! Will he ever return to play with System of A Down? Judging by what I saw and heard last night, I don't believe so. Unless it's for out-of-place, pathetic reunions like those that are so in vogue lately. The fact is he's taking very different paths, too different, and having observed what a playful and charismatic personality Serj has, I find it easy to imagine that perhaps that's precisely the origin of the separation from System. It's tough to musically compete with someone like him, on one hand, and even tougher to be confined to the same old four chords already played when you feel the need to grow and experiment.

Setlist:

Feed Us

Borders (reading)

Sky is Over

Lie lie lie

Money

Baby

Blue

Gate 21

Peace be revenged

The Charade

Honking Antelope

Saving Us

Disowned

Elect the Dead

Falling Stars

Beethoven's Cunt

Empty Walls

(Photo by Beatrice Fiaschi)