Gioielli Rubati - Alice Canta Battiato
Encyclopedia
Gioielli rubati– Alice canta Battiato is the seventh studio album by Italian singer-songwriter
Alice
, released in 1985 on EMI Music.
The album, whose title translates as Stolen Jewels – Alice sings Battiato
, followed the highly successful 1984 single and Eurovision Song Contest
entry "I treni di Tozeur
", a duet with the composer. Gioielli rubati includes songs from Battiato's pop albums L'era del cinghiale bianco (1979), Patriots (1980), La voce del padrone
(1981), L'arca di Noè
(1982) and Orizzonti perduti
(1983). "Luna indiana" ("Indian Moon"), loosely based on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and originally largely instrumental had new lyrics penned by Francesco Messina, partly spoken and partly sung by Alice. Just like the preceding single "I treni di Tozeur", the album prominently features strings courtesy of the opera house La Scala
, arranged and conducted by classical composer Roberto Cacciapaglia.
The opening track "Prospettiva Nevski", minutely detailing a cold winter's day at Saint Petersburg
's Nevsky Prospekt
in the early 20th century, became Alice's best-selling solo single in Continental Europe and Scandinavia since her breakthrough with Sanremo music festival
winner "Per Elisa" in 1981, and despite the fact that it originally was recorded by Battiato, it today counts as one of her signature tunes in Italy. Further single releases from the Gioielli rubati album include "Summer on A Solitary Beach", "Luna Indiana" and "Il Re del Mondo". Franco Battiato himself released the album Mondi lontanissimi
the same year, which also included a new version of "Il Re del Mondo" as well as solo interpretations of "I treni di Tozeur" and "Chan-son Egocentrique", both previously recorded as duets with Alice.
A re-recorded version of "Prospettiva Nevski" with the London Session Orchestra was included in the 2000 career retrospective Personal Jukebox
.
The Gioielli rubati album is not to be confused with the EMI budget compilation Alice canta Battiato which comprises material recorded between the years 1980 and 1987, released in 1997 after the artist had left the label and signed with Warner Music.
Side B
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 1985 on EMI Music.
The album, whose title translates as Stolen Jewels – Alice sings 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...
, followed the highly successful 1984 single and Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
entry "I treni di Tozeur
I Treni Di Tozeur
"I treni di Tozeur" is an Italian song, written by Franco Battiato, Rosario Cosentino and Giusto Pio. It was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, performed in Italian by Alice and Franco Battiato.In a studio version sung only by Battiato, the song was later to be included on his...
", a duet with the composer. Gioielli rubati includes songs from Battiato's pop albums L'era del cinghiale bianco (1979), Patriots (1980), La voce del padrone
La voce del padrone
La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
(1981), L'arca di Noè
L'Arca di Noè
L'arca di Noè is an album by the Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato. It was released in 1982 by EMI Italiana...
(1982) and Orizzonti perduti
Orizzonti perduti
Orizzonti perduti is an album by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, released by EMI Music Italiana in 1983.- Track listing :# "La stagione dell'amore"# "Tramonto occidentale"# "Zone depresse"# "Un'altra vita"# "Mal d'Africa"...
(1983). "Luna indiana" ("Indian Moon"), loosely based on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and originally largely instrumental had new lyrics penned by Francesco Messina, partly spoken and partly sung by Alice. Just like the preceding single "I treni di Tozeur", the album prominently features strings courtesy of the opera house La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, arranged and conducted by classical composer Roberto Cacciapaglia.
The opening track "Prospettiva Nevski", minutely detailing a cold winter's day at Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
's Nevsky Prospekt
Nevsky Prospekt
Nevsky Avenue |Prospekt]]) is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. Planned by Peter the Great as beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow, the avenue runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and, after making a turn at Vosstaniya Square, to the Alexander...
in the early 20th century, became Alice's best-selling solo single in Continental Europe and Scandinavia since her breakthrough with Sanremo music festival
Festival della canzone italiana
The Festival della canzone italiana di Sanremo is a popular Italian song contest, held annually in the city of Sanremo, in Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs...
winner "Per Elisa" in 1981, and despite the fact that it originally was recorded by Battiato, it today counts as one of her signature tunes in Italy. Further single releases from the Gioielli rubati album include "Summer on A Solitary Beach", "Luna Indiana" and "Il Re del Mondo". Franco Battiato himself released the album Mondi lontanissimi
Mondi lontanissimi
Mondi Lontanissimi is an album by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, released by EMI Italiana in 1985.-Overview:...
the same year, which also included a new version of "Il Re del Mondo" as well as solo interpretations of "I treni di Tozeur" and "Chan-son Egocentrique", both previously recorded as duets with Alice.
A re-recorded version of "Prospettiva Nevski" with the London Session Orchestra was included in the 2000 career retrospective Personal Jukebox
Personal Jukebox (Alice album)
Personal Jukebox is a compilation album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 2000 on WEA/Warner Music.In the Spring of 2000 Alice returned to the Sanremo music festival, nineteen years after the victory with "Per Elisa"...
.
The Gioielli rubati album is not to be confused with the EMI budget compilation Alice canta Battiato which comprises material recorded between the years 1980 and 1987, released in 1997 after the artist had left the label and signed with Warner Music.
Track listing
Side A- "Prospettiva Nevski" (Franco BattiatoFranco BattiatoFrancesco 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...
) – 3:39 - "Il Re del Mondo" (Franco Battiato) – 2:57
- "Mal d'Africa" (Franco Battiato) – 2:56
- Segnali di vita" (Franco Battiato) – 3:35
- "Le aquile" (Fleur JaeggyFleur JaeggyFleur Jaeggy is a Swiss writer, of Italian mother tongue.-Life:After completing her studies in Switzerland, Jaeggy went to live in Rome, where she met Ingeborg Bachmann and Thomas Bernhard. In 1968 she went to Milan to work for the publisher Adelphi Edizioni, and married Roberto Calasso. Her first...
, Franco Battiato) – 2:55
Side B
- "Summer on a Solitary Beach" (Franco Battiato) – 4:32
- "Gli uccelli" (Franco Battiato) – 4:07
- "Un'altra vita" (Franco Battiato) – 3:31
- "Luna indiana" (Francesco Messina, Franco Battiato) – 3:22
Personnel
- AliceAlice (Italian singer)Alice , also known as Alice Visconti is an Italian singer-songwriter and pianist, active since 1971...
– lead vocals - Aldo Banfi – 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...
s, 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...
, drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s - Michele Fedrigotti – keyboards
- Orchestra della Scala di Milano (The La ScalaLa ScalaLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
Orchestra, Milan) – string instrumentString 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...
s, woodwind instrumentWoodwind instrumentA woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
s
Production
- Angelo Carrara – record producer
- Roberto Cacciapaglia – musical arranger, sound engineer
- Recorded at Studio Sette, 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 ,...
(February 1985) - Franco Zorzi – sound engineer
- Mixed at The Power Station StudiosAvatar StudiosAvatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
, New York (March 1985) - Jeff Friedriekson – sound engineer
- Francesco Messina – art direction
- Gik Piccardi – 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...