To pay homage to one of the most influential songwriters in the history of Italian music, the four episodes of the documentary-event Franco Battiato-the tribute scheduled for Sky Arte and now available on Now all the different artistic and human facets of the Sicilian musician explore.
Through the direct testimonies of colleagues and friends, live performances and some rare unpublished recordings of the same songwriter, the series traces Franco Battiato's career. At the center of the narrative is “invitation to travel”, the famous concert-homage that led to the Arena di Verona many protagonists of the Italian music scene, united in the memory of the Sicilian artist who passed away four months earlier.
The first episode is centered on Battiato's bond with “his” Sicily. To tell the musical and spiritual love of the Catania singer -songwriter for the island where he was born and where he chose to die, the conterranea Carmen Consoli intervenes, which performs a personal version of “all love obeys love”.
The musical focus of the second episode moves to the rock sounds of the album “La Voce del Master” and the subsequent records of the late nineties. The circle ends with a tribute to Battiato's debuts in the seventies, characterized by an experimental approach that would have influenced many artists in the decades to come.
The third episode brings in the spotlight the incredible variety of Battiato's musical production, capable of swinging easily from classical music to the influences of the oriental sounds, as artists and colleagues confirm including Paola Turci, Enzo Avitabile and Vinicio Capossela. To be explored is also the versatility that led him to try his hand with the film direction and visual arts.
The final episode collects the testimonies of many guests of the concert at the Arena di Verona, united in the memory of an ambitious and engaging songwriter, but also of an ironic, witty and profound man, whose music is only part of a fundamental legacy for the Italian culture.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
