“Of course the Puer is weak on the earth, he does not belong to the earth. He is not destined to walk, but to fly” (J. Hillman)

Each of us can be “Puer aeternus”, each of us is partly so.

This is how the story of the concept album “Puer aeternus” begins:

“He,” Puer, being incorporeal with no definition of age or sex, finds himself in an apparent Eden. An eternal limbo, pleasant, illuminated; always the same, and perfect, but at the same time “dead” because it is totally devoid of growth. He is imprisoned in a dimension where he is neither adult nor child, where nothing grows and there is no responsibility, a place devoid of desires. In this reality, that has existed for such a long time that he cannot remember its beginning, Puer questions his eternal state.

Ancient Veil’s new work is an album that moves in a thousand directions. The theme is ancient, archaic and current like all the eternal dramas that man has always experienced. His inadequacy in relating to himself and consequently to the outside world. An “eternal child” with enormous abilities who prefers not to face his transformations, incapable of really growing up, of building a life in harmony with his peers and with the greatest force outside of his ego: nature. In this story the classical myths come together without limits of time, place, culture, space.

All the characters in “Puer aeternus” are mythological but at the same time human, they live in the present and in the past, in a daily life that inexorably contains the near future. The character who guides our story is an enlightened man who understands his potential only with the strength of “detachment” and reflection, finally managing to change the inevitable mistakes of his path into an intense life.

The album metaphorically tells the story of the conscious man through the life of Puer aeternus, an eternal adolescent who transforms several times in his life, is reborn several times, transforms into Hermes and then into Kore. Throughout his story he tries to improve the world around him without understanding that his naive sincerity often transforms him into a pawn easily molded by time and by the thirst of egoic beings. He manages to find true balance “towards the vertical line” only when he finally understands that the only viable way to grow and become aware is synergistic coexistence with Nature.

The album features well-known musicians including Lino Vairetti (Osanna), Martin Grice (Delirium), Sophya Baccini, Tony Cicco (Formula Tre), Roberto Tiranti (New Trolls), Natalino Ricciardo (Paolo Conte), Simona Fasano, Elisa Marangon … all voices chosen and motivated in the choice of timbre and acting of the character, I am a highly theatrical character.

Puer aeternus is a decidedly prog album with experimental, acoustic openings, but it is also an opera, it is theatre, history, music for images and emotions, where in the foreground the acoustic instruments that have always been the trademark of Ancient Veil resonate (acoustic, classical guitars , various flutes, soprano sax…) where well-dosed interweavings of Hammond and Moog become the completion of the overall sound, where drums, bass and percussion are never accompaniment but always highlighted and musical. The palette is enriched with a present string quartet and a full-bodied wind section made up of clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, almost to create a small orchestra.

Everything is well described in the booklet composed of the lyrics and full of “notes” to provide the listener with a complete knowledge of the story and its characters and the meanings that each sung and instrumental moment represents. A QR Code present on the CD also provides the listener with the English translation of the entire work and the possibility of reading the Italian libretto in Word format.

Characters and performers (in order of appearance)

Nature: Simona Fasano

Puer – Hermes – Kore: Alessandro Serri

Creator: Lino Vairetti

Soul: Elisa Marangon

Cantor: Tony Cicco

Chrono: Roberto Tiranti

Mercury: Fabio Serri

Thoth: Sophia Baccini

Humanity in choir: Edmondo Romano, Alessandro Serri, Simona Fasano

 

Ancient

Alessandro Serri: vocals, classical guitar, acoustic, 12 strings, electric, flute, harmonica, keyboard programming

Edmondo Romano: alto – soprano – tenor – bass recorder, soprano and sopranino sax, chalumeau, clarinets, low whistle, voice

Fabio Serri: piano, Hammond and Moog, vocals

Massimo Palermo: bass

Marco Fuliano: drums

 

Martin Grice: alto sax

Francesco Travi: bassoon

Natalino Ricciardo: French horn

Marco Gnecco: oboe

Roberto Piga: first violin

Fabio Biale: second violin

Ilaria Bruzzone: viola

Kim Schiffo: cello

Olmo Arnove Manzano: percussion