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Reale Accademia Di Musica - Adriano Monteduro & Reale Accademia Di Musica CD (album) cover

ADRIANO MONTEDURO & REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA

Reale Accademia Di Musica

 

Rock Progressivo Italiano

3.49 | 40 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

coasterzombie
4 stars Check any preconceived notions at the door...this is not Reale Accademia di Musica's second album. This project, a collaboration between various members of RAM and singer- songwriter Adriano Monteduro, is a Prog Folk treasure from 1974. A bit maligned and critically derided album, Reale Accademia di Musica e Adriano Monteduro is a criminally underestimated release in my opinion, and excellent for what it is. While the intense plunder of songs like "Padre" and "Vertigine" from the debut is all but gone (along with singer Henryk Topel), the top-notch musicianship hasn't gone anywhere. If you like Zauber or Errata Corrige, you need to get this CD.

According to the insert in the 2008 Sony BMG jewel case edition, Henryk Topel shares compositional credit for the opener "Buongiorno Nel Bosco," but his voice is no where to be found. Instead, the smooth yet somewhat gravely voice of Monteduro leads a placid arrangement featuring multiple acoustic guitars. What a lovely beginning. The song transitions to "La Favola del Guardiano del Bosco" and piano and drums join Monteduro for the first time, as provided by core members Frederico Troiani and Roberto Senzasono respectively. The song weaves from the theatrical, to buoyant folk, to jazzy pop seamlessly and effortlessly. The gorgeous "Mezzogiorno" showcases some of the most impressive vocal harmonies in all of Italian Prog. By the end of this third song, it's apparent this album is something special, and while not a proper follow-up to Reale Accademia di Musica's classic debut, I consider it classic in its own right.

A sweet arpeggio sets the foundation for "Le Figlie Dell'Erba," as Monteduro again proves his songwriting prowess and arrangement skill. "Viaggio Libero" may be the closest thing to actual Progressive Rock on the entire album, as Zeppelin-esque guitars in alternate tuning ring out a deceptively simple melody in C major; the progression shifts and hangs on an unresolved E chord, which in this context does not complement the root C as a major third, but a sixth to root G. Music theory aside, the emotional impact of "Viaggio Libero" is undeniable. "Le Montagne Nel Tramonto" continues the melancholy feeling throughout the second side, which is more varied and sedated than the first. Still, there is a cohesiveness to the work as a whole. "Preludio a..." and "Una Canzone" almost feel like interludes, and set up the finale quite well. "Suoni Di Umanita" encapsulates the entire album in four minutes, and leaves the listener satiated. My love for Reale Accademia di Musica e Adriano Monteduro has developed over time, and what was once three-star filler has become one of my most cherished favorites.

coasterzombie | 4/5 |

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