Branduardi was born in Cuggiono, a small town in the province of Milan, but early moved with the family to Genoa. He was educated as a classical violinist in the local school of music. At the age of 18 he composed the music for the Confessioni di un malandrino (Hooligan's Confession) by Sergei Yesenin, still one of his finest songs.
He is married to Luisa Zappa, who wrote the lyrics for many of his songs. Luisa and Angelo have two daughters, Sarah and Maddalena, both musicians.
Angelo's first album was never released, and resulted from a co-operation with Maurizio Fabrizio, composer and gifted performer. The first released album, Angelo Branduardi '74 was arranged with Paul Buckmaster.
La Luna ("The Moon"), including "Hooligan's Confessions" and the fine, delicate song giving the LP its name, is a prelude to the success of the following works. Alla Fiera dell'Est (English edition: Highdown Fair, 1976) was Angelo's first vastly popular album, followed by La Pulce d'Acqua ("The Water Flea", 1978) and Cogli la Prima Mela (English edition, Life is the Only Teacher, 1979). In those albums Branduardi exploits themes and patterns from ancient music, mostly Renaissance and early Baroque. The very song Alla Fiera dell'Est ("At the Eastern Fair") is still popular among Italians of every age, who test themselves to send in memory all the fable-like, repetition-based lyrics.
Lyrics have a broad spectrum of inspiration: a Danse macabre, the theme of Satan's mistress, Chinese, Native American and Druidic tradition, the apocryphal Gospels. Concertation owes much to the talents of Maurizio Fabrizio, and exploits unusual instruments for pop music: dulcimer, Pan flute, lute, clarinet, among others - mixed with more standard guitar-bass-and-drums.
Subsequent albums are mark by an increasing desire towards experimentation and differentiation. Branduardi (1981) has a more intimate tone, Cercando l'oro ("Searching for Gold", 1983), has very sophisticated and delicate arrangements (starts with a String Quartet), Branduardi canta Yeats (1985) is a tribute to William Butler Yeats. Pane e rose ("Bread and Roses", 1988) is a still inspired, but increasingly dark picture of life and death. Though similar in style to the early ones, 1980s Branduardi's songs seemed to have lost the strong, rythmical energy that backed masterpieces like "Ballo in Fa Diesis Minore" or "Cogli la prima mela". Il Ladro (1991) marks a very delicate point of Branduardi's life, edging on depression, echoed in a dark, almost cemeterial, style of singing.
The album Si puó fare 1993 brings back Branduardi to normality, but the artist is now struggling to evade the minstrel character which is now too strict for him. In 1994 he publishes Domenica e Lunedì ("Sunday and Monday"), dedicated to Franco Fortini.
In 1996, during the celebrations for the restoration of the Duomo of Spilimbergo after the catastrophic 1976 earthquake, he records the extraordinary album Futuro Antico, in which he poses as an early Baroque musician, reusing, mixing, wording pre-existing material along with his own. This experience, together with musicians and musicologists, will continue with Futuro Antico II and Futuro Antico III.
In 1998 Branduardi teams with Italian stand-up comedian and writer Giorgio Faletti for Il Dito e la Luna ("The Finger and the Moon").
He reworks earlier musical themes with writings of and about St. Francis to produce L'Infinitamente Piccolo; he writes a musical on the same topic (Francesco).
In 2003 a new album, Altro ed Altrove ("Other and Elsewhere"), in a time period marked by a rise of racism and intolerance, brings together (mainly) love stories from several cultures.
Discography
* 1974 Angelo Branduardi
* 1975 la luna(France: Confession d'un malandrin, 1981)
* 1976 Alla fiera dell'est (France: A la foire de l'est - UK: Highdown Fair, 1978)
* 1977 La pulce d'acqua (UK: Fables and fantasies, 1980)
* 1979 Cogli la prima mela (France: Le demoiselle)
* 1980 Gulliver,la luna e altri disegni
* 1980 Concerto
* 1981 Branduardi '81
* 1983 Cercando l'oro (France: Tout l'or du monde)
* 1983 State buoni se potete (Soundtrack for the movie with the same name)
* 1986 Branduardi canta Yeats
* 1988 Pane e rose (France: Du pain et des roses)
* 1990 Il ladro
* 1992 Musiche da film
* 1992 Si può fare France: Ça se fait)
* 1994 Domenica e lunedì (France: La menace, 1995)
* 1996 Camminando camminando (Live collection)
* 1996 Futuro antico I
* 1998 Il dito e la luna (Lyrics by Giorgio Faletti)
* 1998 Studio Collection (Collection)
* 1999 Futuro antico II
* 2000 L'infinitamente piccolo
* 2002 Futuro antico III
* 2003 Altro ed altrove
* 2005 The Platinum collection (Collection)
==LINKS==
*http://www.angelobranduardi.it/
*[http://www.branduardi.info Branduardi.info
*[http://guide.supereva.com/angelo_branduardi/ Guida di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://www.angelo-branduardi.com ABcom - Il sito internazionale di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://www.europamici.com EuropAMICI di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/branduardi-ans/ Branduardi-ans -Mailing List Ufficiale- Gruppo di discussione su Angelo Branduardi e la sua musica.
Casanova
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
come un gabbiano a sera torna al nido,
fra le ombre profumate
di donne mai dimenticate,
lo accompagnava verso casa
lo nostalgia...
Ora viene la notte,
ora viene l'inverno, Casanova...
inquieto se ne andava verso il mare,
nei riflessi dei canali
figure mascherate,
stagioni lontane e giardini
illuminati...
Ora viene la notte,
ora viene l'inverno, Casanova...
Cento notti, cento donne in una vita,
meravigliose vergini e puttane,
una favola inventata
ormai la giovinezza...
Splendori, miseria, gloria e
malinconia...
Ora viene la notte,
ora viene l'inverno, Casanova...
The lyrics of Angelo Branduardi's "Casanova" describe the melancholic journey of the legendary lover Casanova as he walks towards Venice. The song likens him to a seagull returning to its nest at sunset, hinting at his wandering nature, and depicts him as accompanied by the shadows and echoes of the many women he's been with, as if their fragrances and memories follow him. The phrase "lo nostalgia" could be interpreted as either his longing for those women or their longing for him.
The second verse shows Casanova wandering alone on a dusty road, uneasy as he heads towards the sea, reflecting on the reflections of the canals and the masked figures that cross them. The line "stagioni lontane e giardini illuminati" speaks of distant seasons and illuminated gardens, possibly evocative of his various escapades and the glamour of the city he's approaching. The repeated refrain of "Ora viene la notte, ora viene l'inverno, Casanova..." adds a sense of finality and reminds the listener that even one as prolific and seemingly invincible as Casanova will eventually succumb to the passing of time and the experiences he's accumulated.
Overall, the lyrics paint a nostalgic and somewhat mournful picture of Casanova, a man who may have had everything he ever desired, but still carries the weight of his past conquests with him. The song captures the bittersweet realization that even a life as adventurous and passionate as his must eventually come to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Camminava verso Venezia Casanova,
As Casanova walked towards Venice, he was like a seagull returning to its nest in the evening.
come un gabbiano a sera torna al nido,
fra le ombre profumate
He was surrounded by the sweet scents of women he had never forgotten.
di donne mai dimenticate,
lo accompagnava verso casa
He was accompanied on his way home
lo nostalgia...
And felt a deep sense of nostalgia
Ora viene la notte,
Now, the night is approaching,
ora viene l'inverno, Casanova...
along with the arrival of winter, Casanova...
Solo, lungo quella strada polverosa,
Alone, along that dusty road,
inquieto se ne andava verso il mare,
He walked restlessly towards the sea,
nei riflessi dei canali
In the reflections of the canals,
figure mascherate,
he saw masked figures,
stagioni lontane e giardini
distant seasons and illuminated gardens.
illuminati...
Cento notti, cento donne in una vita,
A hundred nights; a hundred women in one life,
meravigliose vergini e puttane,
marvelous virgins and prostitutes.
una favola inventata
The story of his youth, now invented,
ormai la giovinezza...
now that his youth has passed.
Splendori, miseria, gloria e
Splendors, miseries, glories and
malinconia...
melancholies...
Ora viene la notte,
Now, the night is approaching,
ora viene l'inverno, Casanova...
along with the arrival of winter, Casanova...
Contributed by Jonathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ileana Sassi
Avevo visto il film. Branduardi esprime molto bene il senso di velata tristezza che aleggiava attorno alla figura di Casanova interpretato molto bene da A. Delon.
Beatriz Gomez Gomez
Una maravilla. Gracias ⚘
ma54mi
Video delizioso, le immagini che prendono forma sotto gli archi dei ponti sembrano realizzate proprio per questo testo. Grazie!
Giovanni D'innocenzo
BASTANO 2 PAROLE- CAPOLAVORO ASSOLUTO!
GRAZIEMauro Di Loreto
Meravigliosamente unico
Giovanni D'innocenzo
La classe non e acqua ...