NYMPHAE

Dear Prog Fellows (by adding another half star at least,if you hear some collectors...) it's difficult to rate my first debut album: as you know I'm the keyboardist from Lethe and - for the reason that I have been invited to talk about my old debut album for several times (thanks to some friends they collaborate with various prog links all over the world), I will try to be honest and finally review this "Nymphae", like in a personal specific retrospective. Actually it's not a personal tribute, but I should rather say a "remembrance" to be dedicated to an unforgettable friend and the original founder too of the original ensemble Lethe, Stefano Fornaroli...the recording was a bit disturbed by the original 4 track Fostex Recorder, and for sure it should have been better -in my opinion- to insert an anticipation of the next concept album or to record this album once again, by means of the modern technology, in order to show our strong improvement.Anyway, coming back to my work and proceeding by order, "Caccia alle Streghe" was the first track entirely composed by Stefano (a very old mini-suite), whose main section had been already composed a few years before,together with the first co-founder of the band: I was asked to complete the epic symphonic intro and the final harmonization of such guitar solo, every three notes of the digital keyboard, during the interplay, and the output was good!! The text by Stefano was very intelligent, as it concerns the modern "Inquisition" (typically of the 17th Century) in opposition to the common sense of the wice men against the stream, they also nowadays can be regarded as guilty aprioristically,as if they were heretics (people sometimes are stupid!!).Instead the second track was often compared by the critics to "Dolcissima Maria" by PFM, cause of the sweet intro at the piano and the crescendo of flute in the main themes as well, regarded as a delicious break through; and moreover you can get an inkling of our work in progress...then you can listen to the following song "Hey Syd ", that was dedicated to Syd Barrett and perfectly coupled to "Sintesi", the long last suite: a kind of gift, for the lovers of the old Romantic 70's atmosphere it was (which were both a tribute to that magical period..); and you can find also our best mini-suite before the already mentioned last suite,even though what a pity for the recording of such "La Via della Seta"!!Probably it represented the strongest episode of the album and a must have exotic instrumental too- in the course of some important concerts in the early nineties- but never mind... this album was the perfect platform of launch towards our work of maturity, the concept album "Il Cavaliere Inesistente" inspired by Calvino's novel... I hope that this latter won't be represented by another unrealised dream!!

This is a very pleasant album that definitely slots into the mellower side of Italian symphonic prog. It features fine acoustic textures provided on guitar, piano and flute, long developed songs reminiscent of PFM and Celeste, but thoroughly updated at the same time, with just enough compatible vocals to pull it off.

For me, Nymphae picks up about halfway through the opener, "Caccia alle streghe", and wavers a bit in the final long piece, but not enough to dock a star, because the broad middle of the disk is so appealing. In particular, "Il Sentiero" is an understated jewel , while "Hey Sid" at first seems more of a Tull tribute than one to Mr Barrett of Pink Floyd infamy, given the flute style. Still, it rides a clever electric guitar riff and some what more aggressive vocals until it shifts into more of a sing song mode reminiscent of French 1970s group Orion. But eventually a Floydian solo begins, before we return to earlier themes. In a way the excellent instrumental, "La Villa della seta", is more like Floyd by virtue of its space rock leanings, but it is probably the most original piece on the album, with the guitar itself sounding atmospheric before the flute and distorted guitar have their way again.

Shame that this was a one-shot, but I'm glad I bought it on a whim, and recommend it if you can find it and like modern Italian symphonic with woodwinds....and who doesn't?