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.
Il Signore Di Baux
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
l'ha costruita sui sassi...
La casa sua il signore di Baux
l'ha costruita sui sassi...
Passi di mille cavalieri
segnano i suoi sentieri,
vegliano dall'alto nella notte
gelidi i suoi pensieri...
l'ha costruita sui sassi...
Gemono nel sonno i suoi cani
sognando della caccia,
siede a banchetto la sua dama
lo sguardo assorto...
fuoco e calore nelle sue sale
danze, colori e allegria,
canti e rumori, suoni di risa
nella tua casa, signore di Baux.
La casa sua il signore di Baux
l'ha costruita sui sassi...
e ancora lei rimane là
e guarda passare gli anni...
voli di uccelli verso il mare,
l'ombra dei suoi pensieri,
ha imbiancato le sue sale
il vento salato...
fuoco e calore nelle sue sale
danze, colori, allegria,
canti e rumori, suoni di risa
nella tua casa, signore di Baux.
The lyrics of Angelo Branduardi's song "Il signore di Baux" describe the home of a lord or nobleman who built his house on solid rock. The lord’s home is watched over by the footsteps of a thousand horse riders and by his own cold thoughts during the lonely nights. The lord's dogs can be heard whimpering in their sleep, dreaming of the hunt. The lord’s lady sits in silence, lost in thought while surrounded by the warmth, dancing, colors, and joy that fill the lord's house. The passage of time has not affected the house, still standing as it was built upon rock, as the lord watches silently and his thoughts turn to the salted wind and the flight of birds.
The song's lyrics are a metaphor for the importance of building one's foundation on solid ground. The lord's home, built on strong rock, is a symbol for a life that is built on deep and solid principles that will stand the test of time. The lord's contemplative thoughts and the passing of time serve to reinforce this message.
Line by Line Meaning
La casa sua il signore di Baux
The Lord of Baux built his house
l'ha costruita sui sassi...
on the rocks...
Passi di mille cavalieri
A thousand knights' footsteps
segnano i suoi sentieri,
mark his paths,
vegliano dall'alto nella notte
watch over him from above at night,
gelidi i suoi pensieri...
his thoughts cold...
Gemono nel sonno i suoi cani
His dogs moan in their sleep
sognando della caccia,
dreaming of the hunt,
siede a banchetto la sua dama
his lady sits at banquets
lo sguardo assorto...
her gaze absorbed
fuoco e calore nelle sue sale
fire and warmth in his halls
danze, colori e allegria,
dances, colors and joy,
canti e rumori, suoni di risa
singing and noises, sounds of laughter
nella tua casa, signore di Baux.
in your house, Lord of Baux.
e ancora lei rimane là
and still it remains there
e guarda passare gli anni...
and watches the years go by...
voli di uccelli verso il mare,
birds flying towards the sea,
l'ombra dei suoi pensieri,
the shadow of his thoughts,
ha imbiancato le sue sale
has whitened his halls
il vento salato...
the salty wind...
fuoco e calore nelle sue sale
fire and warmth in his halls
danze, colori, allegria,
dances, colors, joy,
canti e rumori, suoni di risa
singing and noises, sounds of laughter
nella tua casa, signore di Baux.
in your house, Lord of Baux.
Contributed by Christopher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Franco Concu
Mi è venuta spontanea una traduzione casteddaia:
Sa dommu zua su meri de Baux
si d'esti vatta in iz roccas....
Sa dommu zua su meri de Baux
si d'esti vatta in iz roccas....
Passanta mmeras cavaglieris
marcanta is seuz camminus,
sciruzu in mezu de sa notti
iz pensammentuz friuzus...
Sa dommu zua su mmeri de Baux
si d'esti vatta in iz roccas....
Sonnendi de sa cassa is caniz
ladranta in su zonnu,
cumbirau vesta po sa spoza
mirara silentzioza...
fogu callenti de iz appozentus
cantuzu e sonuz e spassiu,
in dommu rua, ossu meri de Baux.
Sa dommu zua su meri de Baux
si d'esti vatta in iz roccas....
e issa sa domu abarrara virma
passanta iz meraz annus...
bolendi billonis a su mari,
ass'umbra de iz pensammentus,
su bbentu zaliu incarcinauzus
muruz de iz appozentus...
fogu callenti custu appozentus
ballus, coloriz, e spassiu,
cantuzu e sonuz, genti arriendi,
in dommu rua, ossu mmeri de Baux.
Geniale Angelo!
Gianna Rosasco
Angelo,un mito.Angelo,una icona.Nessuno puo dire cose ancora pi belle di quelle che sono state dette.Ti vogliamo troppo bene,Maestro.Non morirai mai
Marie-Françoise Defresne-Beuriot
Quel plaisir de réécouter Angelo Branduardi, j'étais une fan absolue dans les années 80,j'ai tous ses 33 tours de l'époque, en français et en italien, je suis allée le voir à Rouen, c'était extra, j'aimerais savoir ce qu'il devient, s'il chante toujours, quel talent !
bassimont michele
Il est très reconnu en Italie où on l’appelle Maestro. Il est plus tourné vers les chants religieux il me semble.
Moi aussi j’étais très fan. J’ai été à tous ses concerts à travers la France et possède encore tous ses disques. J’ai pu lui parler plusieurs fois. Je suis même photographiée avec lui.
Giovanni Reale
Il chante ed est fenomenale il avait 70 Ansle dernier album parle de maria ermengarda la sante alemanne
Emilia Bellomo
I mie figli sono cresciuti fin da piccoli con le sue meravigliose musiche ! Unico ed uno dei pochi a cui auguro di essere eterno!
Antonio Renna
Se dovessi rispondere alla domanda "quale strumento suona il maestro Branduardi?" Risponderei senza esitazione: "lo strumento dell'anima".
Alida van Eerden
☺
DOCTORA SONIA PATRICIA
Sono d'accordo. La tua risposta e bellisima.
Daniela Zanette
Concordo in pieno!
MAURIZIO VIGNOLI
Passando a Baux in Francia si apprezza al massimo questo pezzo magico ed evocativo