FLORIAN

I always felt something special for Italian prog' not only because they developed a clear symphonic style but also by the addition of something special and unique, their national and artistic identity.

Le Orme is a band that can change from strong and bombastic ELP or Genesis oriented music to a precious and delicate Renaissance or Classical sound, as if we were not before a rock band but in front of a small Orchestra.

It's a hard album to review because of the variety of instruments they use and for my limitations in Italian, but I'll try to do my best.

"Florian" is a Renaissance and classical oriented album extremely beautiful, maybe a bit boring for those who expect something as complex and powerful as "Felona e Sorona", but not less rewarding for the progressive fan that only wants to listen great music despite the orientation of the band.

The first track "Florian" deserves the masterpiece qualification as no other song before, the soft orchestra delights with their precision, the violin and clavicembalo give the exact atmosphere, followed by piano and small orchestra, is simply perfect.

"Jaffa" is a more Renaissance oriented track where the violin, piano and vocals blend in a perfect way, the Italian phonetic helps very much to achieve the perfect atmosphere.

The violin piccicato with which starts "Il Mago" (The Magician), gives a perfect idea of how this song will develop, more rhythmic than the previous creates an atmosphere of a medieval juggler with his mandolin who he tells the story of a magician that can fight against evil with great powers exceeding the ones that Circe (The Odyssey) had.

"Pietro Il Pescatore" (Peter the Fisherman) has a clear relation to Saint Peter "Quando una nuova alba il gallo annuncerà le chiavi perderai" (When one new dawn the rooster announces the keys you will lose) in clear allusion to his denial and the keys of Heaven, a simpler song for violin, piano and vocals, maybe the weaker of the album not being bad.

"Calipso" is another beautiful song with acoustic guitar and piano, also very simple but not always complex is better, the violin solo is so melancholic that almost brings tears to my eyes. The song is almost an ode to the inspiration represented by Calipso.

"Fine di un Viaggo" (End of a Trip") is a happier song despite the nostalgic title, good mixture of violin, piano, mandolin and vocals, not only about a journey that ends but about a new one that starts.

"El Gran Senser" is the perfect closer, a great instrumental where violin and percussion take the lead role at the start, followed by piano and the rest of the small orchestra grows in strength and power until the middle were is soft but with some suspense as to prepare for the explosive ending.

A real unplugged album recorded long before MTV had the idea of doing something similar but without the great quality and imagination, a must have for any progressive or even classical fan, because both will enjoy it the same.