L'uovo di Colombo

A charming but not exceptional "one album wonder" from the Italian prog boom of 1972-1973, L'Uovo di Colombo play a style of prog reminiscent of Collage-era Le Orme with a bit more Keith Emerson worship…

Colombo is technically not quite an opera. Gomes called it a "Poema Corale-Sinfonico". Although each of the work's four parts is given a specific location–the Convent of Rabida, the Royal Palace, at Sea, on the Island–it more closely resembles an oratorio or a scenic cantata. It was composed in celebration of the "Fourth Centenary of the Discovery of the Americas by Columbus"; the premiere was on October 12, 1892, in Rio de Janeiro

Mantua and the Gonzaga family represent one of the summits of European humanistic and Renaissance expression. This project addresses one of the city's greatest periods with sacred works by the leading musicians of the Gonzaga court, at a time when music was the primary tool employed by the Gonzaga dukes to assert their prestige over other Italian cities; this golden age began with the foundation of the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara and its cappella under Giaches de Wert during the rule of Guglielmo Gonzaga in 1565 and lasted until the sack of Mantua in 1630. The Ensemble Biscantores specialise in the performance of late Renaissance and Baroque music; here, thanks to the research, study and transcriptions made by its director Luca Colombo, they explore the Mantuan court of the Gonzagas and the liturgy specific to the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara.

Roberto Colombo is a keyboard player, artistic producer and arranger and has worked with bands such as Le Orme, PFM, Finisterre and many other prominent Italian musicians. He's often considered one of the underrated gems in Italy. His solo albums from the 70's have a lot of Frank Zappa influences. In 1976 his first solo album, "Sfogatevi Bestie," was released. 1977 saw the release of "Botte da Orbi." This work verges on progressive and jazz-rock, but is marked by light-hearted ironic tones. He gathers together an all-star band of more than thirty musicians, featuring essentially the cream of the Italian music scene: from Mauro Pagani (PFM) to Walter Calloni (PFM), Ronnie Jackson to Lucio Violin Fabbri (PFM), Stefano Cerri (considered one of the best bass player of those days) to Tullio De Piscopo (another legendary drummer who have been playing with New Trolls on Tempi Dispari), and Ivan Cattaneo (a songwriter who was backed on one album by PFM).

Roberto Colombo is a keyboard player, artistic producer and arranger and has worked with bands such as Le Orme, PFM, Finisterre and many other prominent Italian musicians. He's often considered one of the underrated gems in Italy. His solo albums from the 70's have a lot of Frank Zappa influences. In 1976 his first solo album, "Sfogatevi Bestie," was released. 1977 saw the release of "Botte da Orbi." This work verges on progressive and jazz-rock, but is marked by light-hearted ironic tones. He gathers together an all-star band of more than thirty musicians, featuring essentially the cream of the Italian music scene: from Mauro Pagani (PFM) to Walter Calloni (PFM), Ronnie Jackson to Lucio Violin Fabbri (PFM), Stefano Cerri (considered one of the best bass player of those days) to Tullio De Piscopo (another legendary drummer who have been playing with New Trolls on Tempi Dispari), and Ivan Cattaneo (a songwriter who was backed on one album by PFM).

Il Cerchio d'Oro were one of the many symphonic-oriented groups to come out of the initial boom of Italian productivity. They were formed in 1974 by the Terribile brothers (Gino and Guiseppe on drums and bass/guitars, respectively) and Franco Piccolini on keys. They were active on the gigging circuit around Savona but never managed to secure a recording deal, and so the only recordings initially available were a handful of singles from the late '70s following lineup changes (they're not particularly interesting from a progressive rock standpoint, either).
25 years after the band formed, Mellow records came along and dusted off some old recordings, releasing them as the self-titled "Cerchio d'Oro"…