s e a n

You don't see a lot of symphonic rock bands who are led by females, which is one notable quality about Quaterna Requiem. Elisa Wiermann wears the pants in this Brazilian outfit as the keyboardist and chief songwriter. The easiest description for the music here is breathtaking, a soft, sometimes lush, mostly acoustic approach. Almost everything here contributes to that passive approach, whether it's the use of violin and flute, the soft dynamics or aforementioned organic, acoustic quality. There are some more aggressive sections, such as in the opening track "Ramoniana", although this may be mainly because it is one of the two non-Wiermann written tracks. Much of the album is meditative and contemplative, although not an unmitigated success. There is an Emersonian bit in "Aquartha" that I could do without, and that particular track seems a bit on the unimaginative side, although these guys are so good even their bad stuff sounds good. There is nothing bad about either the title track or "Madrugada", soft instrumental pieces with the kind of strong classical influences one usually sees in the Italian scene. Wiermann is stunning in doing more with less, resisting the urge to wank out even though you know she could if she wanted to. Tasteful is the word here, folks. There is also a Camel influence in the music, most obviously in the title track which features some hooks right out of "Rhayader". Despite the low-key nature of much of the material, the top-notch skill of the musicians (particulary Wiermann and violinist Kleber Vogel) is obvious. After all is said and done, this is one of the very best albums to have come out of Brazil. There are not many times you will hear beauty so awe-inspring, and this could melt the heart of the most ardent sympho-hater. How much more do I need to plug this? review by Sean McFee — 9-3-00 —

b r a n d o n

If I hadn't known going into this one that it was recorded in 1992, I might have thought it was a lost Camel album circa The Snow Goose. Replace the flute with a violin, and voila - you have Quaterna Requiem. Hell, on the first track there is a guest flautist, and that first track almost sounds like it could actually have come straight off of The Snow Goose. The only problem is, this glib summary doesn't really do the band justice, because this album is just so good. Alternating between quiet, slow violin-led moments and more actively rhythmic passages led by keys and violin, Velha Gravura contains some of the most purely beautiful music I have ever heard. The aforementioned title track is a keeper, with lots of acoustic guitar and violin creating a gorgeous intro before the flute is introduced and the song turns into what sounds like "Rhayader 2". Pieces like the "Madrugada" - my favorite on the disc - and the first half of the title track move away from the Camel influence and are simply distilled beauty: violin playing delicate melodies over soft keyboard and bass backgrounds. Occasionally the piano comes to the fore and holds the melody equally well. Other songs have more keyboard presence, a louder bass, and the occasional tasteful electric guitar solo, but it's the softer ones that I find the most rewarding. Aside from Camel, comparisons might be drawn to various classic Italian bands; PFM came to mind a couple times for me, and the opening of "Tempestade" sounds like it came straight off the Banco debut. Also, the quieter pieces by After Crying have some similarity to the pieces here, though Velha Gravura is much lighter-hearted and far less brooding than that band's efforts. Despite all these heavy influences, Quaterna Requiem has come up with a true masterpiece, very much classically-oriented, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to any symphonic rock fan. review by Brandon Wu — 8-23-00 —