From: "Richard Stockwell" <> I see in May Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre & Hostsonaten) has a new release out called "Merlin". Below is a snippet from the news about the music. "More than 30 actors, singers, dancers and musicians take part in the show.The music is represented by a mixture of symphonic rock, folk, classical, celtic and medieval. The opera was performed during the months of July and August 1999 in a tour organized and sponsored by the PROVINCIA DI GENOVA, and in the following season in the theatres throughout Italy. In May 1999 MERLIN was awarded the literary and theatrical prize? FINALE LIGURE STORIA? for the best original work". The double CD release in May will feature 8 singers; a Choir of 17 featuring soprano, altos, tenors & basses plus 11 musicians playing instruments such as Bass, Guitar, Mellotron, piano, minimoog, digital keyboards, mandolin, Hammond organ, digital keyboards, polymoog, piano, French bagpipes, low whistle, Sitar, Diatonic accordion, drums and more. Now THIS sounds exciting.
From: "Mark Fonda" <>
Subject: MERLIN - The Rock Opera by Fabio Zuffanti and Victoria Heward
cross-post from :
PROG-REVIEWS NR 114 - 2000
MERLIN - The Rock Opera by Fabio Zuffanti and Victoria Heward Rating: * * * *
ITALY 2000 IRIDEA RECORDS 2000-6-2 AB Time Disc 1: 43:29 Time Disc 2: 45:36
DISC 1 Act One: 1. Overture (instrumental) (6:42) 2. As It Was In The Beginning
(9:23) 3. Winter Lament (4:45) 4. The Musician Arrives (2:12) 5. Tricked / Must
You Leave So Soon? (4:53) 6. Free For Another (5:27) 7. The Wedding March (7:29)
a) The Preparations (instrumental) b) The Wedding Song (chorus) c) Merlin And
The Devil 8. Our Time Is Now (2:35)
DISC 2 Act Two: 1. Fairies Dance (instrumental) (2:48) 2. Madman Sings (5:53) 3.
Song For The New Day (Tree Of Life) (2:06) 4. Merlin And Vivian (including The
Storm) (7:31) 5. Beyond The Nightmares (5:49) 6. How To Do The Sleeping Spell
(3:21) 7-8. Gloria / Blessed With Peace (6:39) 9. How Long Can She Wait? (1:10)
10. Uninvited Guest / The Last Battle (5:16) 11. Wait For The Golden Age (4:59)
The Singers: Merlin - Alessandro Corvaglia Vivian - Loredana Villanacci Devil -
Fausto Sidri King Arthur - Stefano Marelli Gwendolyn - Nadia Girardi Rydderch -
Davide Vacchi Ganeida - Laura Cavalleri Messenger - Carlo Carnevali
The Choir: Sopranos - Marta Bottino, Laura Cavalleri, Victoria Heward, Patrizia
Parodi, Loredana Villanacci Altos - Paola Roselli, Chiara Sibill, Marlisa
Villanacci, Barbara Vivaldi Tenors - Giuseppe Amenta, Carlo Carnevali, Paolo
Costa, Fausto Sidri Basses - Simone Dagnino, Stefano Marelli, Massimiliano Mio,
Davide Vacchi.
The Musicians: Fabio Zuffanti - bass guitar, bass pedals, percussions Nicola
Bottino - electric & acoustic guitars Agostino Macor - mellotron, piano,
minimoog, digital keyboards, mandolin Luca Scherani - hammond organ, digital
keyboards, polymoog, piano Andrea Orlando - drums, percussions with Edmondo
Romano - french bagpipes, low whistle Federico Foglia - percussions Massimo
Zelante - sitar Filippo Gambetta - diatonic accordion Fausto Sidri - percussions
Roberto "robbo" Vigo - additional keyboards, choirs
This is a 2 CD concept album that tells the story about the adventures of Merlin
the Wizard. The album is an Italian production but the lyrics are all in
English, so there's no problem to follow the story. "Merlin The Rock
Opera" have musical reminiscences to John Miner's rock opera "Heaven
Cafe'". From time to times there's also some similarities to the musical
"Chess".
There are eight characters in the rock opera, performed by eight singers.
Alessandro Corvaglia who does the vocals of Merlin has a voice that's quite
reminiscent to Denis Quilley who's doing Molokov in "Chess". The
musicianship is very good. One of the highlights on this album are "Tricked
/ Must You Leave So Soon?" where I instantly get to think about a part in
"Chess".
I guess that the live performance of this rock opera must have been really
something to remember. Imagine 8 singers, 17 choir members, 11 musicians, 7
dancers and 5 additional performers on stage and very strong compositions. It
must have been quite overwhelming.
If you were lucky enough to be in the audience on this rock opera, I guess that
you've already bought the album, and if you weren't there, this album is perhaps
the closest you'll ever get. Recommended! -Reviewed
by Greger R?nqvist-
Contacts & info: Merlin's Cave
Via Coronata 5/18 19152 Genova Italy Fax: +39 010 651 94 73 http://digilander.iol.it/zuffantiprojects
e-mail: Iridea
Records Via Bontempelli, 88 41058 Vignola MO Italy Tel./Fax: + 39 059 76 01 06 http://www.iridearecords.com/
mailto:
From: Jesus Diaz <> Subject: Re: Top 10 of 2000 This is a side project from Fabio Zuffanti', Finisterre's leader. Another rock opera, in english (musicians are italian). A bit like hostsonaten. Gorgeous packaging.
From: "Andrew & Jo Holborn" <>
Subject: GOOD MUSIC- FEW REVIEWS!!
I have no financial interests whatsoever in Fabio Zuffanti's work.
I just think that his "Hostsonaten" works (3 cds so far) merit much
better attention from the various prog review sites !!
So I hope e-progmembers will understand my motivation in forwarding
Fabio's newsletter. This isn't something I would
normally do.
The other band which I think is vastly underrated and under-reviewed is
Pocos and Nuvens. By the way, Anyone seen their new cd at any of the web
vendors??
I would be interested to hear about bands that members really like but which
get scant attention by prog reviewers. Andrew H
----- Original Message -----
From: fabio zuffanti <>
To: <>
Sent: 19 January, 2002 8:20
Subject: the zuffantiprojects newsletter # 1
SPRINGSONG IS OUT !!!
infos at: info@iridearecords.com
++
FINISTERRE
"HARMONY OF THE SPHERES"
AN ANTOLOGY OF RARE, UNRELEADED AND LIVE
FINISTERRE, HOSTSONATEN, QUADRAPHONIC AND BORIS
VALLE SONGS FROM 1993 TO 1999
OUT NOW ON MELLOW RECORDS
++
LA MASCHERA DI CERA
la maschera di cera is a new project for a concept album in italian '70 prog
style
the CD will be recordsd from january 2002 and it will be out in april /may
2002 on mellow records label
this will be the tracklist:
LA MASCHERA DI CERA
i. il tuo volto
ii. la tua gente
iii. il tuo rifugio
iv. la tua irrelt?br>
v. la tua guida
vi. la mia fine...
DEL MIO MONDO CHE CROLLA
DEL MIO ABISSO E DEL VUOTO
DEL MIO VOLO
the musicians involved will be:
FABIO ZUFFANTI. bass, basspedals, acoustic guitar
AGOSTINO MACOR. piano, mellotron, hammond, moog, harpsichord
MARCO CAVANI. drums, timpani, percussion
ALESSANDRO CORVAGLIA. voice
ANDREA MONETTI. flute, sax
LA MASCHERA DI CERA WILL PLAY LIVE IN MARCH 15, 2002 AT THE BLOOM ( MILAN ).
IN THIS OCCASION THE GROUP WILL ENTIRELY PLAY THE CD
INFOS AT: From Genesis To Revelation
++
other zuffantiprojects websites :
spazio website
http://digilander.iol.it/glispazio/
quadraphonic website
http://digilander.iol.it/quadraphonic/
finisterre website
www.finisterreproject.com
From: "fabio zuffanti" <>
Date: Sun Jun 9, 2002 11:04 am
Subject: the ZUFFANTIPROJECTS newsletter - June 2002
laZONA - The group formed by Fabio Zuffanti ( bass ), Stefano Marelli ( guitar
), Agostino Macor ( keyboards ) and Marco Cavani ( drums ) has finished the
works for the recordings of their first CD. The CD is called "Le notti Difficili"
and it will be available by september 2002 on Mellow Records label.
The CD will contain a 45 minutes suite in 4 parts. The music of laZona is
entirely instrumental and it reminds the works of groups or artist such as
Mogway, Godspeed you black emperor, David Sylvian or the most 'free' works by
Porcupine Tree.
We were pleased to have, as guest, on our record MICHELE NASTASI from
PSYCHONOESIS at the trumpet. By september we will do some concerts and we will
present the CD. http://digilander.iol.it/laZona/
LA MASCHERA DI CERA
The first 1000 copies of the CD are sold out in less than a month. The reissue
will be available by the end of june 2002. This summer LA MASCHERA DI CERA will
play in Portugal and in Germany in two festivals. We are waiting to receive the
confirmation about the dates. http://digilander.iol.it/lamascheradicera/
h o s t s o n a t e n
The 'Hostsonaten acoustic orchestra' will play live at the FNAC in Genova on
june 21. The group will be composed by:
fabio zuffanti. acoustic guitar
stefano marelli. 12 strings and classical guitar
agostino macor. piano and mandolin
antonella trovato. oboe
andrea monetti. flute
federico foglia. percussion
http://digilander.iol.it/hostsonaten/