ATARAXIA & AUTUNNA ET SA ROSE

"Odois Eis Ouranon - La Via Verso Il Cielo"

Eqvilibrivm Mvsic - 2005

2 CD

This is the new Ataraxia masterpiece realized by Equilibrium Music in collaboration with another Italian group named Autunna Et Sa Rose. The album is conceived like a double live acoustic performance that the two bands performed on 31st May 2003 in St. Michael Church, but, while Autunna Et Sa Rose's "Logos" was actually recorded on that occasion, Ataraxia preferred to re-record the entire performance in a second time.

"Strange Lights" is an acoustic version of some of the most famous Ataraxia tracks with two unrealised songs: "Strange Lights", featuring Nicolas Ramain’s spoken voice and second classical guitar, where male and female voices alternates creating celestial harmonies, and "Seas Of The Moon", where I appreciated above all the combination of recited and singing voice on a classical guitar texture. I found that Giovanni Pagliari's piano on this occasion steals the scene to the other musicians: all the songs have a more intimate and deep taste so this is for "Shelmerdine" and "Bonthrop" from "Orlando" EP, for the beautiful moving medieval ballads from "La Malediction d’Ondine", "Medusa" and "Ophelie", and for "Oduarpa" from "Lost Atlantis".

I like very much the simple piano version of one of my favourite songs, "Tu Es La Force Du Silence", that sounds even more melancholy than original version included in "Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam". So it is a pleasure to find a beautiful austere and martial realise of "Fuga Trionfale", included in "Simphonia Sine Nomine", and the rare track "Les Tesseus Lunaires", included in demo "Arazzi".

Ataraxia sounds usually tends to be more medieval and folky while here they use only instruments like flute, piano, classical guitar and percussions combined with the always astonishing voice of Francesca Nicoli, a beautiful mix between operatic and traditional folk style. But the intimistic and essential version of these songs gives them a taste of magic and creates a very sacred atmosphere .

"Logos" is Autunna Et Sa Rose's live performance, something really difficult to describe. I had already listened to their album "Sous La Robe Bleue", but the atmosphere that the good musicians create in this work is a bit different because the live dimension perfectly fits to the dramatic-theatrical propensity of this band composed of piano, cello and a soprano voice. This work collects the material from their first three albums and finds its roots in classical contemporary music and in experimental theatre: songs like "L’Art Et La Mort" and "La Morte Di Virginia" are very lugubrious recitations upon a dark cello sound.

Most of the songs are largely instrumental and even when Sonia Visentin is singing she doesn’t use any actual words, while mastermind Disorder's vocals are spoken narrations with an operatic voice. On the other hand, songs like "Caress Aux Coeurs" and "Slow Rain" have a more traditional settlement and they are little delicate musical frescoes. I liked very much the two covers: a very personal version of Tuxedomoon's "Egypt" and of Ataraxia’s "Canzona".

Undoubtably Autunna Et Sa Rose's music is not easy to understand and needs a more deep and mature listening and a good knowledge of theatre tradition and classical music, but anyway I found their sound very incisive and this work something new and really particular on the Italian contemporary musical scene.

- Roberta T.

Contact: info@equilibriummusic.com

Website: http://www.equilibriummusic.com/