Angelo Branduardi (born February 12, 1950), is an Italian folk singer and c… Read Full Bio ↴Angelo Branduardi (born February 12, 1950), is an Italian folk singer and composer who scored relevant success in Italy and European countries such as France and Germany.

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.

I cigni di coole
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Belli sono gli alberi nel loro autunno,
nel bosco i sentieri sono asciutti,
un cielo immobile si specchia nell'acqua
quando viene il crepuscolo d'ottobre;
cinquantanove cigni
stanno sul fiume in piena tra le pietre.
E` giunto a me il diciannovesimo autunno
dal giorno che li contai;

d'improvviso li vidi volare via
in grandi anelli spezzati
e roteando perdersi via
sulle loro ali sonore.

Io le ho viste, creature di luce,
così ora è triste il mio cuore.
Tutto è cambiato da quando io,
per la prima volta su questa spiaggia,
potei udire sul capo come campane il battito delle loro ali,
ascoltando allora io camminavo con passo più leggero.

Vanno instancabili, amanti a coppie,
seguono le fredde correnti amiche,
navigando risalgono nell'aria;
i loro cuori non sono invecchiati,
passione e conquista li accompagnano
dovunque essi vadano vagando.

Ma ora lenti scivolano sull'acqua,
misteriosi e belli;
tra quali giunchi faranno il nido,
presso la sponda di quale lago
porteranno delizia agli occhi degli uomini

il giorno in cui mi sveglierò
e scoprirò che se ne sono volati via?

Overall Meaning

The song "I cigni di Coole" by Angelo Branduardi tells about the author's experience of observing a group of swans during autumn. The trees are beautiful in their changing colors during this season, and the forest paths are dry. The sky is reflected quietly in the water during the sunset of October. The author saw 59 swans standing on the river in high water, between the rocks. This autumn marks the 19th year since the author counted them. Suddenly, he saw them fly away in broken rings, rotating and losing themselves on their sonorous wings. This sight made the author feel sad, thinking that everything had changed since he first heard the beating of the swans' wings and walked lighter on this beach.

The swans are seen as creatures of light, and they are tireless lovers who follow the friendly, cold currents, sailing upwards in the air. Their hearts do not age, and they always have passion and conquest with them, wherever they are wandering. But now, they move slowly on the water, looking mysterious and beautiful. The author wonders where they will make their nest among the reeds, or which lake's shore they will bring delight to the eyes of men. He also wonders on which day he will wake up and find out that they have flown away, leaving the author in sorrow.

Overall, the song is about the beauty of nature and how it affects people. The author's observations of the swans and their movements make him ponder the fleeting nature of life and the permanence of nature.

Line by Line Meaning

Belli sono gli alberi nel loro autunno,
How beautiful are the trees in their autumn,

nel bosco i sentieri sono asciutti,
The paths in forest are dry,

un cielo immobile si specchia nell'acqua
Still sky reflects in the water,

Quando viene il crepuscolo d'ottobre;
During the twilight of October;

cinquantanove cigni
Fifty-nine swans

stanno sul fiume in piena tra le pietre.
Standing in the middle of the river amidst the stones.

E` giunto a me il diciannovesimo autunno
Nineteen autumn has arrived for me.

dal giorno che li contai;
Since the day, I counted them;

d'improvviso li vidi volare via
Suddenly, I saw them fly away

in grandi anelli spezzati
In large broken circles

e roteando perdersi via
Rotating and losing their way

Sulle loro ali sonore.
On their sonorous wings.

Io le ho viste, creature di luce,
I saw them, creatures of light,

così ora è triste il mio cuore.
So now, my heart is sad

Tutto è cambiato da quando io,
Everything changed from when I

per la prima volta su questa spiaggia,
First stood on this shore

potei udire sul capo come campane il battito delle loro ali,
Could hear the flapping of their wings over my head like a bell,

ascoltando allora io camminavo con passo più leggero.
Back then, I walked with a lighter step.

Vanno instancabili, amanti a coppie,
Go on tirelessly, lovers in pairs,

seguono le fredde correnti amiche,
Following the friendly cold currents,

navigando risalgono nell'aria;
Sailing up in the air;

i loro cuori non sono invecchiati,
Their hearts never age

passione e conquista li accompagnano
Passion and conquest accompany them

dovunque essi vadano vagando.
Wherever they go wandering.

Ma ora lenti scivolano sull'acqua,
But now, they slowly glide on the water,

misteriosi e belli;
Mysterious and beautiful;

tra quali giunchi faranno il nido,
Among which bulrushes will they build their nests?

presso la sponda di quale lago
By the shore of which lake

porteranno delizia agli occhi degli uomini
Will they bring delight to men's eyes

il giorno in cui mi sveglierò
On the day I'll wake up

e scoprirò che se ne sono volati via?
And discover they've flown away?

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Testo

Belli sono gli alberi nel loro autunno,
nel bosco i sentieri sono asciutti,
un cielo immobile si specchia nell'acqua
quando viene il crepuscolo d'ottobre;
cinquantanove cigni
stanno sul fiume in piena tra le pietre.
E` giunto a me il diciannovesimo autunno
dal giorno che li contai;
d'improvviso li vidi volare via
in grandi anelli spezzati
e roteando perdersi via
sulle loro ali sonore.

Io le ho viste, creature di luce,
così ora è triste il mio cuore.
Tutto è cambiato da quando io,
per la prima volta su questa spiaggia,
potei udire sul capo come campane il battito delle loro ali,
ascoltando allora io camminavo con passo più leggero.

Vanno instancabili, amanti a coppie,
seguono le fredde correnti amiche,
navigando risalgono nell'aria;
i loro cuori non sono invecchiati,
passione e conquista li accompagnano
dovunque essi vadano vagando.

Ma ora lenti scivolano sull'acqua,
misteriosi e belli;
tra quali giunchi faranno il nido,
presso la sponda di quale lago
porteranno delizia agli occhi degli uomini
il giorno in cui mi sveglierò
e scoprirò che se ne sono volati via?