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Museo Rosenbach: Zarathustra

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jamesbaldwin View Drop Down
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    Posted: October 09 2021 at 16:35
Museo Rosenbach released only one album, a masterpiece, and disbanded shortly after. Why? Mainly because the cover provoked a political reaction that isolated them.

To understand this fact, we need to talk about the Italian situation in 1973.

In Italy, 5 bombs exploded on 12 December 1969, 2 in Milan and 3 in Rome. In Milan, one of the two bombs caused a massacre, remembered as the Piazza Fontana massacre. It was later discovered that those bombs were planted by far-right groups that collaborated with deviant sections of the Secret Service. It was the beginning of the so-called Strategy of Tension with which certain state apparatuses tried to prevent the Communist Party from going to government, so that Italy would remain linked to NATO and the USA.

For the bomb in Piazza Fontana, Luigi Calabresi, police commissioner, arrested the anarchist Pino Pinelli, who was interrogated for 3 consecutive days and who was found dead in the police garden. The police blamed the anarchists and a Communist group for many years. Instead they were all innocent. Pinelli was thrown from the third floor of the police station during his interrogation because he refused to consider himself guilty. But the judiciary said that Pinelli had fallen from the third floor due to an illness, thus acquitting the police.

Italy already had the largest European Communist Party at that time and, with 1968, and the Student Movement that was created throughout Europe, Italy produced the largest extra-parliamentary left movement, which responded to the strategy of tension with training of about a hundred armed formations.

Starting from December 12, 1969, and until the end of the seventies, Italy experienced an era called Years of Lead where almost every week there was a murder for political reasons. The peak of this era was reached with the killing of Aldo Moro, the president of the Christian Democrats, the largest Italian party on 9 May 1978; authors: the Red Brigades.

The extra-parliamentary left culture (counterculture or underground movement) that produced terrorism was not expressed only with violence: prog music was a direct expression of that culture, of that movement of young leftists.

In 1972, Luigi Calabresi, considered guilty of the death of Pino Pinelli by the Leftists, was killed outside his home by left-wing militants.
In 1974 there were two massacres within a few months, with which some right-wing groups wanted to carry out a coup of State. Left-wing terrorists killed specific people who represented symbols. Right-wing terrorists planted bombs, carried out massacres and were often protected by the secret services.

The Rosenbach Museum published their Zarathustra in 1973. The title referred to Nietzsche, and the cover depicted the bust of Mussolini. It was enough to be considered a fascist group. That cover was seen as a political statement and triggered a series of reactions that led to ostracism against the Rosenbach Museum.

Now I report what J. J. John, a great expert of Italian prog, writes in his beautiful blog on Italian prog about Zarathustra.



"It was not supposed to be pleasant in full Underground climate to be labeled as "fascist", on the contrary: we know very well that those who really were, or only suspected of being, were systematically cut off from any alternative artistic circuit.

The concept of "God, country and family" in fact, did not get along with the red dogmas of conflict, transgression and the "new at any cost" that harbored in Prog music and its followers.
 
So, like it or not, the 70s were a period in which it was better to pay attention not only to the normal dialectic, but above all to the value of one's provocations. A poor choice could lead to ostracism and this was exactly what happened to a quintet from Bordighera: the Rosenbach Museum.
 
Born in 1971 from the merger of the "Quinta Strada" and the "Sistema" (one of the very first groups to play Prog in Italy which also included the future Celeste Leonardo Lagorio), the five immediately began their activities calling themselves "Inauguration Museum Rosenbach", offering covers foreigners and supporting groups of a certain importance such as Delirium and Ricchi e Poveri. Their name, chosen by bassist Alberto Moreno, literally meant "stream of roses" and apparently was inspired by that of an unspecified German publisher.
 
In 1972, the subsequent choice to compose original material, prompted the band to contract the name in "Rosenbach Museum" and at the same time provoked a contract with the record company Ricordi, already accustomed to Progressive because of the Banco, Hunka Munka and the Royal Academy of Music .

The result that saw the light in 1973 is still considered one of the milestones of Italian Prog, "Zarathustra": composed on music by Moreno, texts by external collaborator Mauro La Luce (former lyricist for Delirium), recorded at the very professional Ricordi Studies and orchestrated by the same Museum.
Musically, the disc is divided between a long suite of the same name that occupied the entire first side and three tracks also in pure Prog style on the cadet side.

As we all know by now, the album was a masterpiece and deserved a massive diffusion not only nationally but worldwide, as the numerous expressions of affection from all over the world still demonstrate today. But something went wrong and here I go back to the beginning of this sheet.
In fact, on the dramatic cover by Wanda Spinello, which portrayed a collage with a human face in the Arcimboldo style, a bust of Mussolini was clearly visible on the right jaw.
Open up heaven!
The Rosenbach Museum was finished even before it began.

The explanations of the famous designer Cesare Monti who supported the thesis of mere provocation and that, after all, the figure of Zarathustra was intended as "one who yearned for good through meditation and nature" were of no avail.
The summation "Duce + Nietzsche" caused the immediate removal of the band not only from the whole nascent Counter-cultural movement, but even from Rai [The TV Channels] which, in order to avoid trouble, refused them any promotional appearance.

After participating in the New Trends Festival of Naples in 1973 and in any case severely pressed by adverse public opinion, the Museum broke up during the preparation of the second album and the Rosenbach 70s will only remain a very rare five-star album and some collections posthumously published in the 1990s.
Golzi, meanwhile, would have gone to form the Matia Bazar with a very different economic impact.
 
Apart from the impeccable sound of "Zarathustra" of which I refer you to the numerous existing reviews, this time I just wanted to point out how once certain extra-musical items were absolutely fundamental for the fate of a group, an artist or any other author. And the zeitgeist, as we know, is one of the values ​​necessary to understand even the smallest birth of human ingenuity.
 
1973, to be clear, was a time when just going down a "wrong" street dressed in an "inappropriate" way, or with an "unaligned" newspaper under the arm (both on one side and the other), meant provoking a conflict that is also tragic.
Another obvious aspect is that, then as now, musicians certainly did not have full control of their work. And sadly, we'll never know what would have happened if anyone in the band noticed what that damn cover was in."

Taken from: http://classikrock.blogspot.com/2007/06/museo-rosenbach-zarathustra-1973.htmlConfused


Edited by jamesbaldwin - October 09 2021 at 16:41
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mirakaze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2021 at 05:58
Very interesting, thanks! I did always wonder whether the Mussolini reference was merely intended to be provocative. I'd be lying if I said I don't tend to avoid mentioning the album out of fear of raising the eyebrows of any uninitiated. For the same reason I've avoided picking up a copy of Area's debut album due to the Auschwitz reference in the title.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2021 at 06:45
Wow, incredible back story Lorenzo. I had no idea.
Time to pull it out and have a listen. It's been a few years.
Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jamesbaldwin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2021 at 19:50
Originally posted by Mirakaze Mirakaze wrote:

Very interesting, thanks! I did always wonder whether the Mussolini reference was merely intended to be provocative. I'd be lying if I said I don't tend to avoid mentioning the album out of fear of raising the eyebrows of any uninitiated. For the same reason I've avoided picking up a copy of Area's debut album due to the Auschwitz reference in the title.

It is true, that title can be misleading but the disc was launched by a new record label, Gianni Sassi's "Cramps". Sassi was known as a promoter of counterculture initiatives. Also, Area in the back photo put a hammer and sickle, and the first song was someway a support to the Palestinians cause, a typical leftist argument.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miamiscot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2021 at 14:14
MASTERPIECE!!!! 
Thanks for the back story!!!
One of my all time favorite records...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2021 at 15:59
Does anyone know where one can find an English translation of the lyrics?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Argentinfonico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2021 at 21:10
Thank you for this story. I was totally unaware of the origin of the disappearance of this band.... I always assumed that this whole cause was sunk in unknown reasons, as I usually do with other bands that release a great album and leave.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 29 2021 at 08:09
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Does anyone know where one can find an English translation of the lyrics?

http://arlequins.it/translations/MuseoRosenbach-Zarathustra.asp
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 29 2021 at 09:01
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Does anyone know where one can find an English translation of the lyrics?

http://arlequins.it/translations/MuseoRosenbach-Zarathustra.asp

Thank you....will be nice to listen along to it with the lyrics.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 29 2021 at 09:45
And this site have English translations of some other of the great Italian albums 
http://arlequins.it/translations/translations.asp 
and even of ÄNGLAGÅRD - HYBRIS


Edited by David_D - October 29 2021 at 12:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2021 at 09:25
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Does anyone know where one can find an English translation of the lyrics?

http://arlequins.it/translations/MuseoRosenbach-Zarathustra.asp

This translation doesn't include the introduction to the album so, here it comes:

"Zarathustra, best known through Nietzsche's symbology, lived in 600 BC; 
At 30 he left his country and retired in the mountains, where he enjoyed spiritualism and solitude. 
His desperate quest for superman does not come off in the image of the violent army leader 
of unmixed race, as it was sadly but wrongly interpreted, but rather as the peaceful figure of a man, 
who, living in harmony with nature, tends to purify human values from all hypocrisy."


Edited by David_D - December 25 2021 at 09:59
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2021 at 11:25
Hi,

Would you believe I still have not heard this? Not sure why but I have made it one of my fist listens starting next week!

(Heard it as the first thing in the new year!!! I will decline to review it or say much about the album and music itself. It's a fine band, and a very nice piece of work, specially for the time. That will suffice from me!)

I was aware, not totally but by some of our academic professors at UCSB that things in Italy were not all wine and roses, but a bit ... way off the top, and a similar thing happened in Portugal, when the dictatorship finally fell apart and all of a sudden everyone wants a piece of the pie and the number of parties and revolutionaries and idiots immediately stood up ... for something ... in the end, NOTHING.

The sad thing is that it kinda helps explain Banco, PFM and other bands at the time, doing stuff that was not quite political, although it has its touch in satire (PFM), though I think that Banco was not considered to have anything of "value" to say ... and guess what ... their music has lasted longer than most of the others! Likewise, Le Orme, also had some lyrics, but they were not exactly political, although one could think of Felona et Serona as a bit on that side of things, but it was soft, not exactly up front political, and I think that folks like Peter Hammill (did English translation) and others might have helped the band make it softer and gentler to prevent any kind of political profiling, for which they had already seen a lot of bad things.

It's interesting to see this about Museo Offenbach ... and not seeing, or hearing a lot about OSANNA who were known to be political and theatrical, and maybe they disguised their thing well, but in the end, in those days, no one talked about OSANNA in the same breadth as Banco, PFM and Le Orme (at least in Southern Californica) which in many ways ends up showing later, that there must have been some issues with it all, and that hiding behind the costumes was not working as a fantasy of theater and music ... folks knew what was being said!

About the cover. I'm not sure that the band was not aware of it, though the article suggests it, but I think that it may have been trying to give us an idea of some kind of Utopia that , unfortunately, would also have to include the dictator's name, since there were also too many folks still on his side, specially the rich folks that benefited from his time.

Honestly, the whole thing was a mess. 

Sadly, it was the art that got hurt, not the very folks that inflicted all the pain. And there is the gross justice of the many that got to power and should never have been there. AND allowed the law to run riot everywhere!

PS: (on 2 inch soapbox!) And important ... Italy was not the only one having political problems and a lot of havoc all over ... how quick we forget places like Czechoslovakia and what they went through and came out the other end with a writer, and then Poland ... but we "selectively" chose one of value and ignore the others, and we shouldn't. Both these other countries also had a "mess" to contend with, so, again, it was not all that easy to get "their freedom" which in many ways was something the West wanted, as a way to break up the old Soviet Union and its power.


Edited by moshkito - January 02 2022 at 07:32
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jacob Schoolcraft Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2021 at 12:52
This is really interesting!! Thank you so much for sharing this story
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2022 at 06:50
Awesome post, Lorenzo! 
While I actually new of the political on-goings in Italy during this period (I was actually travelling in your fair country in 1978-79--I remember very well the fear we travellers were subjected to after the Aldo Moro murder--though, naïve Americans that we were, we felt impervious to it all and continued on with all of our travel plans). And I've been well versed on the political in-fighting occurring in Italy within the music community--especially the prog community--and especially AREA - International POPular Group's Demetrio Stratos' smear campaign against Museo Rosenbach (thanks Raffaella!) Very interesting stuff--and so foreign to our own very narrow/close-minded American political scene (Demopublican party hegemony has been pretty much sealed in concrete since the 1950s).

My first reaction, however, to any posting about Museo Rosenbach is how much I have always disliked the music of this album--how imitative its music is as well as how poorly its sound engineering and editing are--but, if you're really interested, you can read all about it in my review: 

http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=504372

Suffice it to say, that Zarathustra would never make any of my "top" lists.

P.S. What ever happened to the musicians who collaborated for this album? Did any of them ever stay in music--join or contribute to any other bands? Or were they shunned from Italy's artist community forever?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 03 2022 at 07:10
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

...
My first reaction, however, to any posting about Museo Rosenbach is how much I have always disliked the music of this album--how imitative its music is as well as how poorly its sound engineering and editing are

...

Hi,

My look at it (and listen) for the first time yesterday is similar, but one of the things that I found was something that was happening at the music school at UCSB ... kids simply changing a note on the score and then going to their piano to make sure it fit, and then tell you that was the feeling ... in other words, the kind of paint by numbers, or note by numbers kind of thing, and it "supposedly" means something or other to the listener, and the person goofing around with the score has no idea that others listening can not relate to his wonderings and silliness in thinking that it is "representative" of something or other in his mind ... never mind an audience.

That the engineering and editing is poor, is not as big an issue for me ... there is a lot of music in the psychedelic range that was very poorly recorded and its ability and quality did not suffer and it is still remember -- and very fondly -- in places like the Fillmore where so much was recorded and heard by everyone else. AND, bootlegs never had a good recording in their life, but if you didn't feel the energy and the moment, you had no heart or skin!

"Studio" bands, as I would consider Museo Offenbach, don't usually go beyond the mind and vision of the person putting it together, and thus, I think that they put together the pieces of music they wanted, and the ability to see these within a larger context that would make sense, is a very large issue. It is a very "Burroughs" process in a way ... and hope that things work out ... heck, it worked for CAN in one album, so why not another by someone else?

My only concern, is like your thoughts, that the whole thing is in pieces, not connected and that the changes were made to make sure this part was in and there was little effort in the defining and strength of the "melodic" context of all the parts and pieces, and as such, their work ends up in an area where a lot of folks are not going to enjoy it ... with one really bad detail ... the music seems as confused as the political state of the country at the time, suggesting that even the members were not sure what they wanted to do!


Edited by moshkito - January 03 2022 at 07:12
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 03 2022 at 09:32
This is indeed a great post that I somehow had missed before.

One detail that struck me:
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:


P.S. What ever happened to the musicians who collaborated for this album? Did any of them ever stay in music--join or contribute to any other bands? Or were they shunned from Italy's artist community forever?

Originally posted by jamesbaldwin jamesbaldwin wrote:


Golzi, meanwhile, would have gone to form the Matia Bazar with a very different economic impact.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giancarlo_Golzi
I know Matia Bazar; in fact they were the first Italian band that made something of an impression on me as a teenager; otherwise Italian music reached Germany at the time (80s) mainly in the form of shallow pop music bought by Germans who wanted to remember their summer holidays. Matia Bazar were pretty commercial and successful at least in Italy, but they have some really great songs. I don't know much of them, only three albums of their long catalogue (Golzi was a leading member until his death 2015 it seems; last one I know is 1989's Red Corner), so I'd be kind of happy if Lorenzo could write what he thinks of them and if they are worth exploring more.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pelata Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2022 at 09:28
I recently (finally) got a CD copy of this...so damn good!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr prog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2022 at 14:40
Pretty solid album.
Apoteosi is the ultimate Italian album for me though
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
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