Mezzogiorno Sulle Alpi
Encyclopedia
Mezzogiorno sulle Alpi is the twelfth studio album by Italian
singer-songwriter
Alice
, released in 1992 on EMI Music.
Three years after the commercial success of Il sole nella pioggia
Alice returned to the music scene with her most mature and complex work to date, exploring genres like experimental
and avant-garde rock and including influences from both contemporary jazz and European and Asian folk music. Mezzogiorno Sulle Alpi, which translates as "Noon in the Alps", also featured further collaborations with British musicians like keyboardist Richard Barbieri
(former member of Japan
and Rain Tree Crow
, Barbieri also co-wrote two of the tracks), drummer Gavin Harrison
, bassist Danny Thompson
, guitarist Dave Gregory, guitarist and keyboardist Jakko Jakszyk
, bassist Martin Elliott as well as influential Italian jazz trumpeter Paolo Fresu
.
The album's opening track and lead single, "In viaggio sul tuo viso", includes an excerpt from the Hungarian
folk melody "Istenem Istenem". The English language track "Blue Melody" is a cover of a song by American singer-songwriter
Tim Buckley
, originally included on his 1969 album Blue Afternoon
. The lyrics to the track "La Recessione" is a poem by controversial Italian cinematographer
, intellectual
and writer
Pier Paolo Pasolini
, taken from one of his early works, La meglio gioventù (1954), set to music by Alice's longtime co-writer Mino Di Martino. The song "Tim" was dedicated to the late Tim Kramer, a sound engineer with whom Alice had collaborated on the albums Mélodie passagère and Il Sole Nella Pioggia
.
Mezzogiorno sulle Alpi came to be Alice's final studio album for EMI Music. Despite its moderate commercial success the Italian subsidiary of the EMI label chose not to record the artist's next project, Art et Décoration with the Arturo Toscanini
Symphony Orchestra, and instead released a best of compilation of 1980s hits entitled Il vento caldo dell'estate, including an unapproved disco remix of the 1982 duet "Chan-son Egocentrique" with Franco Battiato
, which omitted all lines sung by the composer himself. This subsequently resulted in both artists leaving the EMI label after a fifteen year long collaboration.
Alice recorded new interpretations of both "Madre notte" and the Hungarian traditional "Istenem Istenem" for her 1999 album God Is My DJ
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Alice
Alice (Italian singer)
Alice , also known as Alice Visconti is an Italian singer-songwriter and pianist, active since 1971...
, released in 1992 on EMI Music.
Three years after the commercial success of Il sole nella pioggia
Il Sole Nella Pioggia
Il sole nella pioggia is the eleventh studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 1989 on EMI Music.The album, whose title translates as The Sun in the Rain, includes the single releases "Visioni" and "Il sole nella pioggia" as well as popular tracks like "Tempo senza tempo", "Le...
Alice returned to the music scene with her most mature and complex work to date, exploring genres like experimental
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
and avant-garde rock and including influences from both contemporary jazz and European and Asian folk music. Mezzogiorno Sulle Alpi, which translates as "Noon in the Alps", also featured further collaborations with British musicians like keyboardist Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri, is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London...
(former member of Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
and Rain Tree Crow
Rain Tree Crow
Rain Tree Crow was the name used by the English New Wave band Japan when they briefly reformed for this one-off project, which would be their final album...
, Barbieri also co-wrote two of the tracks), drummer Gavin Harrison
Gavin Harrison
Gavin Harrison is a British drummer and percussionist. He is best known for playing with the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree which he joined in 2002. As of 2008, he also plays with the band King Crimson....
, bassist Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson
Daniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
, guitarist Dave Gregory, guitarist and keyboardist Jakko Jakszyk
Jakko Jakszyk
Jakko M. Jakszyk is an English guitarist, singer-songwriter , multi-instrumentalist and producer...
, bassist Martin Elliott as well as influential Italian jazz trumpeter Paolo Fresu
Paolo Fresu
Paolo Fresu is a trumpet and flugelhorn jazz player, as well as an arranger of music, and music composer.-Career:Fresu was born in Berchidda, Sardinia. He picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the band Bernardo de Muro in his home town Berchidda...
.
The album's opening track and lead single, "In viaggio sul tuo viso", includes an excerpt from the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
folk melody "Istenem Istenem". The English language track "Blue Melody" is a cover of a song by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
, originally included on his 1969 album Blue Afternoon
Blue Afternoon
Blue Afternoon, released in 1969, was Tim Buckley's first self-produced record and his debut for Herb Cohen and Frank Zappa's Straight record label. This was Buckley's fourth album after Tim Buckley, Goodbye and Hello, and Happy Sad...
. The lyrics to the track "La Recessione" is a poem by controversial Italian cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
, intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
, taken from one of his early works, La meglio gioventù (1954), set to music by Alice's longtime co-writer Mino Di Martino. The song "Tim" was dedicated to the late Tim Kramer, a sound engineer with whom Alice had collaborated on the albums Mélodie passagère and Il Sole Nella Pioggia
Il Sole Nella Pioggia
Il sole nella pioggia is the eleventh studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 1989 on EMI Music.The album, whose title translates as The Sun in the Rain, includes the single releases "Visioni" and "Il sole nella pioggia" as well as popular tracks like "Tempo senza tempo", "Le...
.
Mezzogiorno sulle Alpi came to be Alice's final studio album for EMI Music. Despite its moderate commercial success the Italian subsidiary of the EMI label chose not to record the artist's next project, Art et Décoration with the Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
Symphony Orchestra, and instead released a best of compilation of 1980s hits entitled Il vento caldo dell'estate, including an unapproved disco remix of the 1982 duet "Chan-son Egocentrique" with Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, which omitted all lines sung by the composer himself. This subsequently resulted in both artists leaving the EMI label after a fifteen year long collaboration.
Alice recorded new interpretations of both "Madre notte" and the Hungarian traditional "Istenem Istenem" for her 1999 album God Is My DJ
God Is My DJ
God Is My DJ is the fifteenth studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 1999 on WEA/Warner Music.After the release of two pop albums, Charade in 1996 and Exit in 1998, Alice again changed musical direction and set out on a low-key tour with a six-piece acoustic band performing in...
.
Track listing
- "In viaggio sul tuo viso" (Francesco Messina, AliceAlice (Italian singer)Alice , also known as Alice Visconti is an Italian singer-songwriter and pianist, active since 1971...
) - 4:06- Includes "Istenem, Istenem" (Traditional, arranged by Francesco Messina, Alice)
- "Passano gli anni" (Francesco Messina, Mino Di Martino) - 3:50
- "Blue Melody" (Tim BuckleyTim BuckleyTimothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
) - 5:54 - "Neve d'aprile" (Francesco Messina, Mino Di Martino, Alice) - 4:02
- "Rain Town" (Francesco Messina, Richard BarbieriRichard BarbieriRichard Barbieri, is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London...
, Alice) - 4:00 - "Il colore della lontananza" (Francesco Messina, Alice) - 4:21
- "Tim" (Dedicated to Tim Kramer) (Francesco Messina, Alice) - 1:06
- "Lungo ritorno a casa" (Francesco Messina, Alice, Rosario Cosentino) - 4:43
- "La recessione" (Pier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
, Mino Di Martino) - 3:53 - "Madre notte" (Francesco Messina, Paolo FresuPaolo FresuPaolo Fresu is a trumpet and flugelhorn jazz player, as well as an arranger of music, and music composer.-Career:Fresu was born in Berchidda, Sardinia. He picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the band Bernardo de Muro in his home town Berchidda...
, Francesco Messina) - 3:20 - "Luce della sera" (Francesco Messina, Alice, Richard Barbieri) - 5:32
Personnel
- AliceAlice (Italian singer)Alice , also known as Alice Visconti is an Italian singer-songwriter and pianist, active since 1971...
- vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
trks 6, 7 & 9 - Pino Pischetola - computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
programming trks 1, 4, 6 & 8 - Marco Guarniero - computer, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s & keyboards trk 1, additional keyboards trk 2, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s & additional keyboards trk 6, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, classic & electric guitars trk 8 - Francesco Messina - keyboards & bass track 1, keyboards trk 2, keyboards & organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
trk 3, keyboards trk 4, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
trk 5, keyboards & piano trks 6 & 7, keyboards trks 8 & 9, keyboards, piano & vibe-strings trk 10 - Gavin HarrisonGavin HarrisonGavin Harrison is a British drummer and percussionist. He is best known for playing with the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree which he joined in 2002. As of 2008, he also plays with the band King Crimson....
- drums trks 1-4, percussion trks 5, 8 & 9, drums & percussion trk 11 - Paolo FresuPaolo FresuPaolo Fresu is a trumpet and flugelhorn jazz player, as well as an arranger of music, and music composer.-Career:Fresu was born in Berchidda, Sardinia. He picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the band Bernardo de Muro in his home town Berchidda...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
trks 1, 8, 10 & 11 - Danny ThompsonDanny ThompsonDaniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
- double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
trks 2, 3, 5, 9 & 11 - Dave Gregory - electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s trks 2 & 5, acoustic guitar trk 8, acoustic & electric guitars trk 9 - Jakko JakszykJakko JakszykJakko M. Jakszyk is an English guitarist, singer-songwriter , multi-instrumentalist and producer...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s trk 2, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s & keyboards trk 3, acoustic guitar trk 5 - Bobo Romani - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s trk 2, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
trks 4 & 6 - Stefano Battaglia - piano trks 3, 4 & 11
- Martin Elliott - bass trks 4 & 6
- Richard BarbieriRichard BarbieriRichard Barbieri, is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London...
- keyboards trks 5 & 11 - Michele Fedrigotti - sampled stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
trk 8
Production
- Francesco Messina - record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Recorded at Logic Studio MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Polystudio by Pino Pischetola & Marco Guarnerio, May–December 1991 - Mixed at Logic Studio by Pino Pischetola, January 1992
- Editing: Logic Audio File Studio
- Polystudio - artworkCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
, designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan... - Massimo Gradone - photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Comp Service, Udine - graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...