Le Più Belle Canzoni Italiane di Sempre

Le Poème Harmonique, one of the most important early music ensembles in France, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. For this occasion ALPHA CLASSICS has compiled twenty CDs from the catalogue in an attractively designed box. Award-winning recordings can be heard, some of them with an unusual repertoire from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. For loyal fans and those who want to become fans!

E.A. Poe is another band from the mass of those 70's Italian bands, who recorded just one album in their career and disappeared soon after due to the lack of promotion. The album contains elements both of Symphonic Rock and Classic Progressive Rock, making their style quite abstract and undefienable. Some cuts in ''Generazioni'' are very well-crafted, dominated by the dark organ sounds, light classical piano, soft vocals and pastoral acoustic guitars (and even some mandolin), resembling to a Symphonic Rock band, close to the sound of Premiata Forneria Marconi. In some others it's the star of guitarist Beppe Ronco, who really signs. Leaving his pastoral mood apart, he fills the musicianship with fast guitar chords and jazzy passages, which battle with Giorgio Foti's organ all the time…

E.A. Poe is another band from the mass of those 70's Italian bands, who recorded just one album in their career and disappeared soon after due to the lack of promotion. The album contains elements both of Symphonic Rock and Classic Progressive Rock, making their style quite abstract and undefienable. Some cuts in ''Generazioni'' are very well-crafted, dominated by the dark organ sounds, light classical piano, soft vocals and pastoral acoustic guitars (and even some mandolin), resembling to a Symphonic Rock band, close to the sound of Premiata Forneria Marconi. In some others it's the star of guitarist Beppe Ronco, who really signs. Leaving his pastoral mood apart, he fills the musicianship with fast guitar chords and jazzy passages, which battle with Giorgio Foti's organ all the time…

During the Carnival of Venice in 1637, a play ‘rappresentata in musica’ was opened to the public for the first time – a success. Opera was born and spread like wildfire. Venice had the largest number of theatres in the world. In 1677, the Teatro Sant’Angelo opened its doors on the campo of the same name. Tiny, chaotic, cheap and extremely productive, it was renowned for its musicians and its sets. This effervescence owes much to the figure of Vivaldi who, from 1705 onwards, regularly premiered his operas there and acted (with his father) as impresario. His own Arsilda , L’incoronazione di Dario and La verità in cimento triumphed there, but he also invited composers such as the young Fortunato Chelleri and Giovanni Alberto Ristori. The mezzo-soprano Adèle Charvet and her partners in Le Consort pay tribute to all these composers with a flamboyant programme that mixes famous arias and world premieres – no fewer than twelve of them!

Following two progressive rock classics in Felona e Serona and Contrappunti, along with the excellent live recording Beyond Leng, Le Orme decided to change their successful formula. They added guitarist Tolo Marton and pursued a more pop-oriented style, which while hardly mainstream, proved to be a disappointment to their established fan base. History has not been kind to this oft-overlooked release, but to dismiss it completely would be a mistake. A thorough listen reveals some excellent moments, such as the guitar-heavy "Los Angeles" and the atmospheric pieces "Immensa Distesa" and "Laserium Floyd"…