01	Embrion						02:37
	02	Prima Realta' / Frammentaria Rivolta						14:43
	03	Il Grande Disumano / Oratorio (Chorale) / Attesa						08:37
	04	Dimensione Da Sogno						03:46
	05	Apoteosi						05:56

Apoteosi
Mellow Records (MMP 139)
Italy 1975

Silvana Ida, vocals;
Federico Ida, bass, flute;
Massimo Ida, keyboards;
Franco Vinci, guitar, vocal;
Marcello Surace, drums

Tracklist:
1. Embrion — 2:35
2. a. Prima Realta — 14:40
b. Frammentaria Rivolta
3. a. Il Grande Disumano — 8:36
b. Oratorio (Chorale)
c. Attesa
4. Dimensione da Sogno — 3:48
5. Apoteosi — 5:50

total time 35:43

Sean McFee:
Apoteosi is yet another Italian band who released one strong album and then disappeared. Its reissue comes thanks to Mellow Records, and despite being a little hissier than I'd like in the quiet parts it is a fine job. The nucleus of the band are the Ida family, as Federico provides bass and flute, Massimo keyboards (and most of the writing credits) and Silvana the (female) vocals. Vocals, guitar and some of the writing is provided by Franco Vinci.
The liner notes state that this was not a meticulously composed work, but rather one made from spur-of-the-moment impulses, using fragmentation and disunity as a strength. That said, this is certainly not what I would call improvised in any sense, although hastily written is perhaps true. Despite this, the compositions are strong, featuring the almost stereotypically Italian romantic-era influences, here meshed with healthy doses of psychedelic rock. The rockier parts may feature Massimo's multi-board attack (usually organ and moog), bass, drums and guitar at the same time, while flute and piano will be more prominent in the quieter moments.
Apoteosi's jam-driven psych quality differentiates them from a good number of the more prim Italian bands, but some comparisons with Osanna might be in order. At any rate, this is quality Italian symphonic rock, and one that any connoisseur of the style will want in their collection.

Joe McGlinchey:
Apoteosi's lone, eponymous work from 1975 is a shining gem in the crown of Italian symph-prog. The rhythm section recalls Fragile-era Yes, but that's about the only thing I can readily think of for comparison. Light and open tonalities move through various moods without ever sounding oppressive, and are played with a tight dexterity, especially in the rhythm section. Silvana Ida's gentle voice fits quite comfortably within the proceedings. The workouts on "Frammentaria Rivolta" and "Il Grande Disumano feature some burning ARP synth and guitar from Massimo Ida and Franco Vinci (the main composers of the material), respectively. Perhaps the star of the show, though, was the late Federico Ida, the artistic producer of the album who shines not only on bass but also flute; this Mellow Records reissue is dedicated to him. Maybe a few humdrum moments here or there, but with such confident musicianship, overall Apoteosi is a real treat for symph-prog fans and those wanting to explore Italian prog rock.

Other resources:
The label, Mellow Records, has a well-maintained website.
Apoteosi's entry at Mellow Records.
Two short blurbs/reviews at Alex's page (http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Concert/6848/apoteosi.htm)
and e-Prog (http://www.e-prog.net/bands/apoteosi.htm).
GEPR has several entries.
NSA has a review.



APOTEOSI

Silvana Ida (vocals)
Massimo Ida (keyboards)
Franco Vinci (guitar, vocals)
Federico Ida (bass, flute)
Marcello Surace (drums)

Coming from Calabria, in southern Italy, Apoteosi were one of those monr bands that only released a single album before disappearing.

The LP was released in 1975 by small local label Said and allegedly only had limited pressing and distribution, being now very hard to find. Built on the nucleus of the three brothers Silvana, Massimo and Federico Ida, the band has a very good sound mainly based on keyboards and the nice female voice, reminding of some english bands such as Julian's Treatment but still retaining the typical italian prog touch. Very nice piano playing all over.

The album includes eight tracks, but the first side is a long suite with no breaks.

LP
Apoteosi Said (MAP 145) 1975 single cover - lyric inner with b/w pictures of the band
Also reissued on CD by Mellow (MMP 139)

Apoteosi has never been reissued on vinyl, neither counterfeited. No foreign issues should exist.
Originals are very hard to find due to poor distribution by small local label.
A good CD reissue by Mellow (released with help from band members) faithfully reproduces the inner cover.


Apoteosi [Italy]
Apoteosi (75)

This is a great album (the sound is like PFM) but the band is unknown to most people who like prog.

An undiscovered Italian progressive gem a la PFM, Genfuoco, Celeste.

Apoteosi's self-titled release is beautiful Italian symphonic album in the vein of early PFM and Celeste. While this album doesn't quite stack up against the ultimate beauty of PFM's Per Un Amico or Celeste's Principe di un Giorno, Apoteosi is an excellent album in it's own right. Pastoral passages of mellotron and piano or flute and acoustic guitar give way to heavier moog synth and electric guitar explorations. During the heavier moments, you might be reminded a bit of RDM. Many of the instrumental passages have an intricate classical feel. The music has flowing development and is always changing direction and meter. The Italian lyrics are delivered quite nicely by a female vocalist. This is a little discussed album but undeservedly so; any fan of the Italian symphonic scene will find much to enjoy about Apoteosi. -- Mike Taylor

Driven by keyboards and guitar, this is quintessential progressive rock. All the right elements are there - complex musical interplay, a solid rhythm section, time changes, and so on. This release is sure to please the fan of mellow Italian symphonic rock. The overall sound reminds me of early PFM, yet not quite as upfront and in-your-face. It is guitar and keyboard driven, with occasional vocals. Highly recommended. -- Mike Borella


Apoteosi - Apoteosi (1975)

Apoteosi is one of those Italian bands that one would tend to gloss over in light of the slew of excellent releases from that country, and understandably so. The band plays symphonic progressive rock with many of the usual characteristics; piano, flute, beautiful melodies, and a tendency to sound like PFM at times. Add that to the fact that the album came out in progressive rocks downswing, 1975, and is really not as highly touted as, say the Quella Vecchia Locanda or PFM albums, a conclusion could be drawn that a certain wannabe connoisseur of Italian prog (read: me) might have clean overlooked this album until just recently. Not surprisingly, it's actually really damn good. Thankfully, this Italian one shot has enough distinguishing qualities to make it a necessary purchase for any serious collector. Most obviously, Apoteosi features a full time female vocalist, who is quite nice, though her vocals certainly don't make or break the album. More importantly, the band has a slight hard rock/psych sound at times, with fuzzed out electric guitar solos, plenty of organ and moog, as well as thick, consistently intriguing basslines that tie the proceedings together nicely. Of course, these portions are always set against other, quieter segments that are more typically Italian, for better or worse. Piano and flute melodies create beautiful backdrops for the female vocalist, who generally chimes in when things settle down, allowing the instruments to carry the melodies when the band chooses to crank up the intensity.

The best cut on here is probably the 14 minute two part second piece "Prima Realta/Frammentaria Rivolta", which features some absolutely sizzling moog lines over a driving rhythm section that will stick in your head for days. I remember back when I had only heard the album a few times, having the main theme from this piece in my head and being maddeningly unable to place it. The other highlight is the three part third track, which again exhibits some absolutely extraordinary melodies and powerful playing, especially with regard to the hard rockish guitar riffs. "Dimensione da Sogno" is uninteresting, basically a ballad over which the female vocals actually sound pretty cheesy. Still, its only about four minutes long, so no biggie. The album closes with what is perhaps the most atypical track on here, "Apoteosi" sounds vaguely improvised, build up around a repetitive bass groove as other instruments fall into place around it, building and releasing tension cyclically. Very cool. Essential at some point for fans of Italian symphonic for sure. - Greg Northrup [July 2001]


Originally published in Reels of Dreams Unrolled No. 8, January 19, 1999:
Add Apoteosi to the list of great bands who sadly only did one or two albums in the '70s, then vanished into obscurity, only to become more famous than ever due to the prog revival of the '90s. The music on Apoteosi's one and only album is very energetic and vibrant at one time, then very mellow, melodic and beautiful at others. I think they sound a little like an Italian Camel with a female vocalist and more sophisticated compositions. This album has five tracks ranging from two minutes to nearly 15 minutes in length. They all flow pretty well together, so the album tends to sound as if it is one piece of music and passes by quickly. There are plenty of great analog synth and guitar solos to keep it interesting. This is a must for fans of Itaprog. - Scott Hamrick [January 1999]


1. Embrion - 2:35
2. a. Prima Realta
b. Frammentaria Rivolta - 14:48
3. a. Il Grande Disumano
b. Oratorio (Chorale)
c. Attesa - 8:36
4. Dimensione da Sogno - 3:48
5. Apoteosi - 5:50

Silvana Ida - Vocals
Federico Ida - Bass, Flute
Massimo Ida - Keyboards
Franco Vinci - Guitar, Vocals
Marcello Surace - Drums

Mellow Records - MMP 139




Apoteosi
Apoteosi
Mellow Records
1975

Add Apoteosi to the list of great bands who sadly only did one or two albums in the '70s, then vanished into obscurity, only to become more famous than ever due to the prog revival of the '90s.
The music on Apoteosi's one and only album is very energetic and vibrant at one time, then very mellow, melodic and beautiful at others. I think they sound a little like an Italian Camel with a female vocalist and more sophisticated compositions.
This album has five tracks ranging from two minutes to nearly 15 minutes in length. They all flow pretty well together, so the album tends to sound as if it is one piece of music and passes by quickly. There are plenty of great analog synth and guitar solos to keep it interesting.
This is a must for fans of Itaprog.