OPERA OSCURA

Alessandro Evangelisti is a young, classical trained keyboardist and composer from Rome, graduated at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory. In 2017 he recorded and digitally self-released an interesting debut album entitled Disincanto (Disenchantment) gathering around him a line up featuring Francesca Palamidessi (vocals), Andrea Di Pasqua (guitar), Lorenzo Chiarantini (guitar), Leonardo Giuntini (bass) and Umberto Maria Lupo (drums). The result of the recording sessions is a colourful mix of progressive rock and strong classical influences where delicate piano passages alternate with hard, frenzied electric guitar riffs and dark organ waves. In 2018 this solo project was named Opera Oscura and the album was properly re-released on the independent label Andromeda Relix with the same title, the same track list (lthough the title of three songs changed) and a slighly different album cover.

The opener "A picco sul mare" (Overlooking the sea) begins by an ethereal, dreamy atmosphere, then the tension rises conjuring up a sense of impending tragedy. The operatic soprano vocals soar high to the stars to tell in a poetical way a sad story of loss and broken dreams... Once upon a time, in a dark a stormy night, a crippled little girl was thrown into the sea by his father. The sky heeded the prayers of her desperate, crying mother and transformed the unfortunate girl into a siren...

"La metamorfosi dei sogni" (The metamorphosis of dreams) is a wonderful instrumental full of dark energy and mystery that every now and again reminds me of the adventures of a penguin called Murple... Then comes "Il canto di Sirin" (Sirin's song - formerly entitled "A Breath Of Fate") where we find the guest female singer Serena Stanzani who provides vocals and lyrics for an emotional song in the vein of Kate Bush.

The following "Pioggia nel deserto" (Rain in the desert, previously entitled "Meditazioni inattuali" - Outdated meditations) is another good instrumental track that leads to the Middle Eastern echoes of "Gaza", a piece about the never-ending Palestinian conflict. Here the charming voice of Francesca Palamidessi invites you to set your mind free from every idea of superiority in your relationship with other people for a real change while the music could recall the atmospheres of Abash's beautiful album Madri senza terra.

"Dopo la guerra" (previously entitled "Lo specchio dell'essere" - The mirror of being) is a melancholic, dreamy piece about the contrast between reality and an ideal world where peace and fantasy rule. Here the music and lyrics draw the picture of a city where children could play before a merciless war. What is left of that city is nothing but ruins, abandoned toys and burnt books. You can see dark reflections coming from the crumbled down buildings and hear the voices of the ghosts from a past that you can't forget...

The closer "Resti" (Remains) is a short, evocative instrumental track for piano solo, a perfect end for a short but well crafted album that is really worth listening to...