In Music: Classic Is Sexy
All three of them have had c… Read Full Bio ↴Biography
In Music: Classic Is Sexy
All three of them have had classical voice training, but to look at them you would guess the Appassionante singers were more at home in pulsating city night life than in an opera house: Stefania, Mara and Giorgia are young, spontaneous and drop-dead gorgeous. Just like their music that syncs with both worlds: traditional and pop. “Opera and classical music are utterly modern,” Mara says, and a fine smile plays around the corners of her mouth. “You simply have to understand and interpret it as such.” And that’s exactly what the three singers do: very convincingly and in every which way.
Appassionante, to stretch a point, means something like “thrills and chills” and the name is inseparably linked to the origin of the trio: “Our Mediterranean temperament speaks through our music,” says Giorgia, “everything that moves us as humans.” And that’s the way joy, melancholy and above all passion sound in the interplay of their voices – seductive to the ear, but also to the eye. “Who says we have to appear onstage high-necked and traditional,” Stefania explains with a charming twinkle, “we like it. Eroticism and music are two very passionate forms of communication, and together they generate a very strong language.” Stefania, Mara and Giorgia aren’t afraid to show this sensuality, in their music and in their appearance. The Appassionante girls are modern, vivacious and sexy. And the way they are divests classical sound of all its cobwebs and turns it into prospective hits. With no ifs, ands or buts.
Roman voices and international success
Life’s focal point for Appassionante is Rome. Here the girls spend their free time, draw ideas and energy from the life of the eternal city; here was also the trio’s origin. Long before Appassionante ever existed, the singers had met in Rome and come to prize each other.
Yet as much as the tone and the character of the music is infused with an Italian approach to life, the first step the trio took towards the public was in Germany: their debut album “Appassionante” was recorded 2005 in Berlin. “Germany has become a second home to us; here is where our adventure started out,” Stefania says of their beginnings, “and we have become very fond of the beauty as well as the character of this country. There’s a lot of respect here for art and also for foreign lands.” Success has, in the meantime, carried Appassionante far, from their first meeting in Rome, via the recording studio in Germany and out into the wide, wide world, all the way to South Africa and Singapore.
Salve – the new album
Via the Roman greeting of “Salve”, Appassionante is getting in touch with their public in all these countries. With an accompaniment by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra of Prague, a powerful and yet delicately beguiling coexistence of pop and classical elements wins the day. String instruments go hand in hand with danceable beats; new titles composed for “Salve” encounter classical Italian scores and worldwide triumphs from the newer history of music – and, à la Appassionante, are given a whole new face.
“Sweet Dreams, for instance, we’ve newly interpreted symphonically with an orchestra and an acoustic arrangement; the hot Latino blood of the Spanish guitar works in well – and now it’s a mix of classic, flamenco and dance,” Mara laughs. “But pieces like Sweet Dreams or The Show Must Go On are an enormous challenge for us. We approach artistic icons like Freddie Mercury only with the greatest awe and also embarrassment.”
The diversity of the album is not only manifest in the choice of musical pieces and the different styles and instrumentations, also the language ranges from Italian, English and Spanish by way of Latin all the way to Neapolitan, which is much more than just an Italian dialect.
Despite the variety in “Salve”, tradition and experimental gusto always remain in balance. For the very powerful music, also in its quiet moments, bows before Stefania, Mara and Giorgia, who in their heady voices playfully and emotionally unite the classical with the modern.
Salve was released July 25th by Maxi Media (Distribution: edel)
Stefania Francabandiera comes from the southern port town of Barletta in Apulia, at the heel of the Italian boot – maybe that’s where she derives her close emotional relationship to the sea. In any case the sea corresponds to her character with its electric tension between gentle swells and underlying power: Stefania spends her free time with literature, her penchant for sensual clothes – and kickboxing at a fitness studio. For this certified early riser, this is an ideal combination for the care of mind and body. Stefania studied classical voice in Bari, but also worked with internationally known pop greats like Zucchero or Eros Ramazzotti before she launched her own project with Appassionante.
Mara Tanchi’s motto is: “Today is the first day of your life!” And true to this motto she plans her daily routine: meeting friends, dancing and turning the night to day in Rome’s heat – and, contrary to Stefania, as far as possible not getting up before noon. But there are also quieter moments; from time to time Mara retires to the seclusion of a small mountain village and lets it all hang out. Mara doesn’t come from the Italian mainland; she was born on Sardinia. Musically she at first chose the classical mode and studied at the conservatory in Bologna; her voice even took her to the Vatican where she sang for the Pope. With Appassionate she can link her training to her musical predilections: Mara’s idols are Freddie Mercury and Whitney Houston.
Giorgia Villa has many very different enthusiasms. One of them is for the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda who was awarded the 1971 Nobel prize for literature, another one for painting, and a third is one she nurtures in common with many women: she collects shoes. Giorgia is Roman by birth and grew up south of Rome in Frosinone, the capital of the province of the same name. She was drawn very early to London to study classical and modern music. And a little also to conquer the world from there: Giorgia worked with musical artists like Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams and others. But the film “La dolce vita”, Federico Fellini’s masterpiece, sparked in her a fascination with her native city. Once she arrived, the road to Appassionante was not far: since 2007 she has been Emma Ahren’s successor.
Take my Breath away
Appassionante Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Never hesitating to become the fated ones
Turning and returning to some secret place to hide
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say
Take my breath away
Through the hourglass I saw you, in time you slipped away
When the mirror crashed I called you, and turned to hear you say
If only for today I am unafraid
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Watching every motion in this foolish lover's game
Haunted by the notion somewhere there's a love in flames
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say
Take my breath away
In Appassionante's "Take My Breath Away," the lyrics describe the intense emotions and sensations experienced by two lovers. The singer watches every motion in their lover's game, as their relationship is like an endless ocean where they feel no shame. They constantly turn and return to some secret place inside themselves, as they cannot resist the anticipation and excitement of their love. The slow motion reflects the heightened feelings they experience, as they realize the intensity of their emotions. The lovers' passion is so strong that it takes their breath away, and they feel as if they are fated to be together.
The lyrics continue to describe the singer's feelings of longing and anticipation, as they wait for their lover to reciprocate their feelings. They are unafraid to love, even though they know it can be painful. The imagery of the hourglass represents the fleeting nature of time and how quickly love can slip away. When the mirror crashes, the singer reaches out to their lover and asks them to stay. The final lines of the song reflect the singer's awareness of the risks of love, as they fear that the flames of passion will consume their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game
I'm observing and analyzing every move made in this love affair that I know is probably not the best decision.
On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame
Even though we may be out in the open and exposed, our connection is so strong and passionate that we don't feel the need to hide our love or be ashamed of it.
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
My mind keeps going back to a hidden, personal place within myself where I can reflect on my emotions and feelings towards you.
Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say
As you look at me and reveal your true feelings, it feels like time is standing still, allowing me to savor and analyze every single moment.
Take my breath away
Your presence and words have left me breathless, completely enamored by you and unable to think of anything else.
Watching I keep waiting still anticipating love
I am still patiently hoping and waiting for our love to fully blossom and become all that it can be.
Never hesitating to become the fated ones
We are destined to be together and I have never doubted that fact or been scared to embrace it fully.
Through the hourglass I saw you, in time you slipped away
I had a fleeting glimpse of you, but time keeps moving on and I'm afraid I might lose you forever.
When the mirror crashed I called you, and turned to hear you say
In a moment of despair and confusion, I reached out to you hoping for comfort and was overjoyed when you responded with caring words.
If only for today I am unafraid
Even if just for today, I am willing to be fearless in my love for you and not let anything hold me back.
Haunted by the notion somewhere there's a love in flames
I can't shake the feeling that somewhere out there, a passionate love affair is happening that is burning bright and hot, which makes me feel both envious and inspired.
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
I keep retreating to a hidden part of myself to contemplate deep feelings and emotions that I'm not yet ready to reveal.
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say
Time seems to stand still as I am hypnotized by you turning towards me and speaking words that make me dizzy with joy.
Take my breath away
You leave me breathless in every way, and I am completely under your spell.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GIORGIO MORODER, TOM WHITLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind