QUATERNA REQUIEM

For years I intended to buy a CD from the splendid, highly acclaimed Brasilian band Quaterna Requiem but every time I postponed it, due to several reasons. Two weeks ago I noticed that the Brasilian progrock label Rock Symphony had released a DVD by Quaterna Requiem, I immediately ordered it! This DVD is recorded live in 2004 because of the 15 years existence of the band (in 1990 they released their first album).

Listening and watching to this DVD it becomes very clear that Quaterna Requiem plays very tight, fluent and powerful and all musicians are very crafted. Every of the 12 compositions is a juwel featuring wonderful, fluent twists and turns, great soli and tasteful arrangements, this is excellent 24-carat symphonic rock! The 'man' behind this amazing band is .. Elisa Wiermann, indeed, a woman in prog! It's obvious that she is classically trained very well, she plays virtuosic and very varied and Elisa is also the main composer, a big hand for her! My highlights on this compelling and varied DVD are Prefacio (great build-up featuring a captivating contrast between the classical violin, fiery electric guitar and lush keyboards), Gargula (beautiful harpsichord intro, then a swinging rhythm with sparklin violin work, powerful electric gutiar and breathtaking interplay by all musicians), Tempestade (very alternating delivering JL Ponty inspired violin play and a wonderful strings-sound), Cantilena (dreamy climate with flute, acoustic guitar and classical sounding violin), the long Irmaos Grimm (dynamic, again outstanding interplay and a flashy Miimoog-like synthesizer solo), Horda (spectacular break featuring a sensational synthesizer - and fluent organ solo), Velha Gravura (loaded with soli, on keyboards, drums, bass and guitar and exciting interplay between the electric violin and electric guitar) and the final track Toccata (a tribute to JS Bach with sparkling church-organ runs, lots of strong shifting moods and a bombastic 'grand finale', EXCELLENT!

THIS DVD IS A MUSICAL DOCUMENT, A HIGHLIGHT IN THE LATIN-AMERICAN PROGROCK HISTORY!!

Quite impressive video done by this terrific symphonic outfit from Brazil. I must say I was a little skeptical about this DVD when I first saw it because Quaterna Requiem´s releases were few and far between. I was wondering if they could put a a show that was not simply a showcase for the technique of original members Elisa Wiermann (keyboards) and Kleber Vogel (violin). Fortunatly what you got is pretty much a coletive efford from a band in great form. Instead of long solo pieces that sometimes plague these kind of instrumental only music, most of the songs are perfomed by the whole band.

And what a show! Great, beautiful instrumental prog music performed with passion by skillful musicians and very well recorded. Their mix of classical music with prog rock is simply fantastic. Wiermann proves herself as a fine songwriter as much as terrific player. Violin and guitar duels are all over the place and the rhythm section is strong and precise. There is little indulgence here, the focus of the whole presentation is to give the listeners over 110 minutes of fine, well crafted music. Of course there is the inevitable drum solo (expected in such long performance), but you can´t have everything your way,. Influences are many, mostly classical, but there also some Pink Floyd, Yes and Italian symphonic rock similiarities. But the music is much their own and the closest group I can think of is another brazilian ourfit, Sagrado Coração Da Terra (minus the vocals, of course). But actually I think Vogel´s violin playing is different from Marcus Vianna´s. vogel seems tobe more from the school of Jean Luc Ponty, really. A very inspired perfomance that every prog lover should see and hear. Rating: something between 4,5 and 5 stars (sorry, I really hate drum solos!). Highly recommended