by Alfonso Algora - PROGVISIONS- Spain 2003
is argentinian composer with italian roots and who currently lives in Barcelona, releases a complex and risky conceptual album about the history of Patagonia, one of the most magical places in Argentina, since it was discovered. The seven instrumental tracks of this album tell seven legends and stories played by Bruno Sanfilippo (keyboards, programming, sythns, samplers, kultrum y chascas), Natalia Chiambaretta (Violin) and Paulo Carri (Quenas, quenachos, trutruca, pifilca). I´m sorry I can´t write further details about these instruments... the only thing I know is that they´re ancient instruments of Mapuche (Patagonia´s indians)

The sound of Suite Patagonia reminds me of soundtracks with some (not many, don´t worry) new-age sounds. In any case it´s a boring album. But the work has been conceived as an unity, so it´s not a collection of seven tracks. On the other hand the album can be enjoyed at its best if you listen to it carefully. If you read the booklet that contains all kind of information and graphics about Patagonia while you´re listening to the music, you´ll enjoy the album while you learn more about that culture.

You won´t find virtuosity of amazing instrumental passages in Suite Patagonia... in fact this is a very interesting almost-orchestral album and a soundtrack that will transport the listener to ancient times and places. I miss some energy and powerful moments so the album would have been more varied, but that´s my personal point of view.

I haven´t listened to the rest of Sanfilippo´s discography but I think that all the albums will be great if he recreates images as he does in Suite Patagonia. Lovers of Oldfield or Phillip Glass sounds, and fans of the most ethereal symphonic rock will enjoy this album.

Is there such a thing as a concept album without a true definable musical concept, instead being borne out of a true story told through music? If so, Suite Patagonia, from keyboard player Bruno Sanfilippo (who hails from Barcelona) is it. This is a grand "tale", all the more remarkable when one reads the extensive (pages and pages of them, in fact) liner notes which recount the history of the land of Patagonia (the land at the far southeastern tip of South America, near the Straits of Magellan), starting with its discovery by the explorer Magellan (here written as Magallanes). I will admit to being more-or-less ignorant of the "real story" behind this chapter of history (and subsequent ones involving the Patagonians and the colonists). After reading the liner notes, I certainly want to know more and my curiosity is reinforced and encouraged by the highly dramatic and wonderful music written and performed by Bruno Sanfilippo. Using what sounds like a large arsenal of synths and samplers
(along with a few authentic - for that part of the world - instruments, e.g. kultrum, chaschas), Sanfilippo has crafted a sweeping neo-orchestral recording that offers up stirring themes, forlorn melodies, and both stately and dramatic rhythms. Musically, some may hear echoes of Richard Burmer, circa his brilliant Bahkti Point-era. But the music on Suite Patagonia is less ' new age ' by far. It's much more along the lines of soundtrack music, especially on tracks like the opening "Sayhueque," (church-like bells, pounding timpani, and bass-strings may bring to mind Morricone's great soundtrack for The Mission).

Other selections include the somewhat otherworldly "Giant Patagon" (featuring great "clipped" synth chorus work and lush strings) as well as delicate flute-like samples counterpointed by thundering drums and plucked strings. "Terra Incognita" features a variety of exotic synths but used in a traditional manner so that the music is never too bizarre or overtly "electronic."
A harpsichord-like keyboard carries the melodic refrain and hand-chimes bring to mind the Burmer comparison I mentioned earlier. Despite the title (which can be translated as "unknown land"), the track is not dark or scary, instead concentrating on a sense of exploration and discovery.

Even during the few parts of the album when the mood quiets down, I'd never call this ambient music. And it's definitely not new age music.
I think the best way to define Suite Patagonia is as I wrote above: it's a musical "tale" with distinct chapters and stories, encompassing a wide variety of moods and emotions. "Magallenes" can be heard as haunting (owing to snaky synth work) despite its pounding percussion.
The title track is almost overture-like, with a largely orchestral sound to it as it moves through eight minutes of various musical motifs.
The closing cut, "The Andes," is probably the closest to "new age music" owing to a more gentle tone and the use of synths that sound less
like traditional instruments.

Admittedly, Suite Patagonia is probably not an album, upon one's first listening, whose craftsmanship or artistic worth is wholly appreciated (such was the case with me, at least). The music is never "easy" to listen to the way that new age music usually is and it's not the least bit unobtrusive (in the way that ambient music is). Instead, I keep coming back to the comparison to a soundtrack.
In fact, owing to the great liner notes and the strong visual component of the music, I sure wish someone would "film" this album.
The historical "story" is amazing (I wish space permitted me to recount it here) and the music, with its dramatic themes, exciting melodies, forceful percussion, and classically romantic motifs, would merit a movie filled with heroism, tragedy, hope, loss, and redemption.
Until the movie is made, though, Suite Patagonia will have to do for those with imagination enough to "see it" in their mind's eye.

'Desde el fin del Mundo"
Suite Patagonia es la obra cumbre de éste compositor argentino afincado en España.
A pesar de las cualidades innatas de los tres trabajos anteriores; "Sons of the Light", "The New Kingdom" y "Solemnis", no hay en ellos la ambición de ésta publicación reciente.
Mientras pervive la suavidad de formas y el arsenal melódico, se da cabida de modo más protagonista a sonidos étnicos prehispánicos encuadrado todo ello en un formato orquestal de arreglos puntillosos puramente sinfónicos.
Tal variedad instrumental y estilística suena homogénea, aventurándose en un estilo puramente incidental y cinematográfico.

Suite Patagonia entre otras muchas virtudes, consigue una perfección insólita en el uso de la electrónica.
Las orquestaciones son perfectas en su ejecución, y su tímbrica mantiene esa "lejanía" tonal que permiten los sintetizadores.

Al preguntarle qué hiciera si dispusiese de una o orquesta sinfónica el autor nos dice:
"La verdad es que haría un álbum con mucho placer, pero no descartaría el uso de la electrónoca, todo depende de lo que quieres "decir".
También haría un compilado en versiones acústicas tomando piezas puntuales de cada uno de mis trabajos anteriores, sobre todo de
"The New Kingdom" y de "Solemnis".
No sé como sigue la historia, pero estoy reestructurando mi estudio en Barcelona para seguir componiendo.
"Estoy trabajando desde hace unos años algunas piezas de carácter atmpsférico, es probable que publique algo de ello, pero ante todo hay que ver qué sucede con el intenso flujo artístico que estoy recibiendo aquí, no olviden que provengo de tierras próximas al fin del mundo..."

Es gibt einige Dinge, die auf den ersten Eindruck bzw. beim Anhören einer CD erst einmal einen etwas auf innere Distanz gehen lassen.
Die Worte "instrumentales Keyboardalbum" und "Konzeptwerk" fallen in diese Kategorie, obwohl sie an sich nun ja wirklich nicht immer so negativ vorbelastet sind. Doch zu viele Elektroniktüfftler aus dem Keller haben so manch ambitioniertes Gesamtwerk zu einer Farce werden lassen.
Der Argentinier Bruno Sanfilippo gehört glücklicherweise nicht dazu.
Denn im Gegensatz zu vielen Kollegen schafft er es, nicht nur leere Tonfolgen zu programmieren und zu spielen, sein Werk hat Spannungselemente, in langsam sich steigernder Atmosphäre wird Bombast und Pathos in ein verträgliches Maß gepackt.

War da nicht am Anfang der Kritik auch die Rede von einem Konzeptwerk? Also, flugs zum Inhalt dieses Albums: die "Suite Patagonia" handelt
von der Entdeckung Patagoniens und Feuerlands durch den Seefahrer Hernando de Magellanes, der auf der Suche nach einem Seeweg nach China und Japan, den südamerikanischen Kontinent umschiffte und schließlich auch die nach ihm benannte Seestraße fand. Im rund 24-seitigen Booklet gibt es die historische Abhandlung der damaligen Ereignisse ergänzt um wunderschöne Landschaftsaufnahmen.

Musikalisch bewegt sich Sanfilippo irgendwo zwischen sinfonischem New Age und World Music. Sein Soundtrack für den Kopf malt feine Linien, sachte werden Stimmungen erzeugt, die zudem durch Violine, gesampelte Flöten- und Bläsertöne sanft davongleiten.
Mal klingt etwas verspielte Kindlichkeit durch, mal wird die sinfonische Dramatik langsam gesteigert, um die Landschaft musikalisch greifbar zu machen.
Man möchte fast selbst in ein Boot steigen, um zu einer Reise zu einer der ursprünglichsten
und kargsten Landschaften Südamerikas aufzubrechen.

Here is a new artist from Buenos Aires who now lives in Spain, named Bruno Sanfilippo.
He has a new release and three previous titles which combine classical influence and similarities to the sweeping music of Vangelis.
Subtle melodies, majestic strings and Celtic influences all com-bine with superb orchestral arrangements to build and structure Bruno’s crafty compositions.

Much of Suite Patagonia has a soundtrack feel, in the best artistic sense, and this is not surprising given the historical and story-telling nature of his work. While all instrumental, there are surely many layers of narrative in this work.
Patagonia refers to the southernmost extreme of the Americas, south of Argentina.

The music is replete with the magic and fantasy of the myths fed by old conquerors, adven-turers and the native peoples.
Colorful instrumentation, with aboriginal songs and sounds of the southern fauna, such as birds of Patagonia, illumines the European vision of
a time & place of numberless of histories & legends. Bruno’s three earlier titles all have their own unique merit.

This latest album, released in 2000, is a musical representation of the history and myths of Patagonia, the land at the south-eastern tip of South America. Accompanied by a lavish 24-page booklet (with text in both Spanish and English) the music combines traditional Mapuche Indian instruments, wild life recordings of birds and whales, and a large array of modern synthesisers and samplers.

With Bruno playing the majority of the instrumentation, the obvious comparison is with Mike Oldfield, and several pieces, most notably
Terra Incognita, are worthy of the reclusive Englishman himself. However, the music contains a plethora of drum rhythms, bringing to mind
the music of Peter Gabriel at the time of this third and fourth albums.

The whole album is very 'visual' akin to some of the music produced by Ant Phillips or Ennio Morricone. It evokes images of grand sweeping vistas, the wilds of nature, the brutality and beauty of the ocean. The only quibble is the sequencing, the pseudo-orchestral title track should, in my opinion have ended the album. Comprised of a sequence of several musical themes, alternatively tranquil and dramatic, with a lovely faux guitar melody (sadly rather swamped by excessive keyboard fills in places), a short vocal section (reminiscent of a Gregorian chant) and a rousing church organ, this piece packs more ideas into its eight and a half minutes than many bands manage over an entire album. Unfortunately, it is followed by The Andes, an almost new-age piece that is altogether inconsequential.

Overall, Suite Patagonia is an excellent soundtrack without a film. It won't get your heart racing or stun you with virtuoso performances,
but for fans of symphonic prog, this album is worth investigating.