Camerata Mediolanense - Vertute, Honor, Bellezza

Artist: Camerata Mediolanense

Album: Vertute, Honor, Bellezza

Label: Prophecy Productions

Genre: Darkwave, Neofolk, Neoclassical

Released: July 2nd, 2013

Vertute, Honor, Bellezza (Italian for “virtue, honor, beauty”) is the 4^th full-length album by the Italian collective Camerata Mediolanense.

The core of Camerata Mediolanense is the classical composer Elena Previdi. The other members of the band come from different backgrounds: percussionist and singer Trevor and percussionist Manuel Aroldi come from the post-punk scene, while lead singer Daniela Bedeski has a past in folk music.

The signature style of Camerata Mediolanense is a blend of electronic sounds, with medieval and classical vocals, subliminal vocals and pounding percussion. At times reminiscent of Ataraxia, the music on Vertute, Honor, Bellezza brings the listener in a parallel universe, where the past is relived in the future.

The vocals on Camerata Mediolanense are classical, without fringes, and telling stories in a very clear style. Unlike most neoclassical acts, where the vibrato on the belcanto voices is largely exagerated, Camerata Mediolanense brings purer, more medieval-oriented singing.

While the entire album of Vertute. Honor, Bellezza is quite a joy for the ears, filled with very-well balanced compositions, a few tracks stand out from the rest. First, there is “Canzone All'Italia”, where the members of the band sound like troubadours, bringing the medieval-vibe in all the right ways.

There is also “Altri Perfecti”, a great blend of classical, folk and electronic sounds, and “Fragmentum XXXV”, which sounds as if you are stuck in a time-machine, projecting you from a distant future into our past.

The album finished with “Quest'Anima Gentil”, in which an almost child-like voice is singing, reminiscent of the folk song “Claire de Lune”, and on which Camerata Mediolanense seem to tell the listeners their goodbyes in style. Not many bands use the final track on an album to send the audience out with a hug and all their best wishes, but here Camerata Mediolanense shows us out in style.

To conclude: if you are curious to hear what a blend of a spacey future with medieval times sounds like, all drenched in layers of strong craftmanship, then check out these Milanese bards from Camerata Mediolanense. Also, if you have a liking for great percussion work, note that 5 out of the 6 members of this band handle percussion – and the resulting pounding and battering is quite exceptional. 

Buy Camerate Mediolanense – Vertute, Honor, Bellezza