An original mix
of soft progressive and avantgarde atmospheres is the distinctive sound
of Pierrot Lunaire, highly regarded among foreign collectors though not
particularly representative of the Italian prog.The group was based in
Rome, and initially formed by close friends Gaio Chiocchio and Vincenzo
Caporaletti (who came from Roseto, Abruzzo) who later recruited
keyboardist Arturo Stalteri. All the three members were classically
trained and still in their teens when their first LP was released in
1974.Their two albums are expensive due to the high request and the
limited distribution made by the RCA subsidiary It that released
them.The first, Pierrot Lunaire, contains 12 songs, with acoustic
atmospheres mainly based on guitars and keyboards, soft, dreamy and
intriguing. There are good tracks like the opening Ouverture XV, but the
album can be boring to the more rock-oriented prog fans.Second album,
Gudrun, recorded in 1975-76, was planned for release in September 1976
on the experimental Vista label, but it was delayed and released a year
later.It saw the entrance of the welsh soprano Jacqueline Darby,
replacing Vincenzo Caporaletti that was more interested in jazz, and a
sound shift toward a classical-inspired avantgarde, more disjointed than
their first work. The trio was assisted by a guest drummer, Massimo
Buzzi, on three of the eight tracks.Continuous rhythm changes, musical
and spoken samples, classical inspired piano and vocal parts, are the
main ingredients of this album that can bring to memory early Faust or
similar groups.After the second album Pierrot Lunaire ceased to exist as
a group. Line-up / Musicians Arturo Stalteri/piano,organ,spinet,cembalo,Glockenspiel,guitar,tambourine,violin Gaio Chiocchio/guitar,mandoline,harpsicord,synth,Shaj Baja Jacqueline Darby/voice Massimo Buzz/drums Discography(Album) Gudrun 1976
1.Gudrun 2.Dietro il silenzio 3.Plaisir d'amour 4.Gallia 5.Giovane madre 6.Sonde in profondit 7.Morella
