RITRATTO DI BALLERINA

Second effort by Lombardi under the moniker of Giardino delle Delizie was inspired by the attempts and difficulties of any artist to create, promote and live on his artistic work as well as the death of his father.Gabriele Paganoni is again present in an album entitled ''Ritratto di ballerina'' with BTF being again the publisher.

The album contains plenty of emotional moments, led by the intense concept ideas around its creation, and is split in three long suites, over 10 minutes each, and a short piano improvisation.It features again highly melodic, Italian-spiced Progressive Rock with a fair amount of Classical interludes and lots of bombastic organ sections, while Lombardi displays his ability to sing in passionate Italian.With him as the leading man, the sound of Giardino delle Delizie contains once more evident symphonic orchestrations with occasional guitar power, delivered in polished, elaborate arrangements with impressive piano themes, soaring synthesizers and vintage ogran-based grandieur.The focus here is on long, instrumental ideas with endless keyboard twists, which sometimes tend to sound like Classical Music, but the bulk of the album contains a steady rhythm section, while Lombardi seems fond of producing grandiose, twin keyboard lines.LE ORME, METAMORFOSI and RUSTICHELLI E BORDINI appear to be deep influences of the Italian keyboard wizard.As aforementioned, the album contains also some moving passages and when Lombardi puts his virtuosic workouts aside his music becomes sensitive and laid-back, characterized by atmospheric, melodic textures.

Plenty of material for a third album and reputedly more bombastic effort was already written, but Lombardi's lack of financial support apparently put the plans on ice.

For lovers of keyboard manifests and Italian-flavored Prog.Orchestral, cinematic and atmospheric Symphonic Rock with an emotional background.Recommended.