III. ORCHESTRA Period
Progressive Rock band Final had a six-member formation:
Roberto Gessaghi : rhythm guitar & vocals
Alejandro Magurno : lead vocals
Guillermo Medin : keyboards & arrangements
Willy Iturri : drums & percussion
Pablo Guyot : lead guitar
Carlos Corallo : bass
After finishing recordings and thereafter the release of their
‘Para ser / Dia de ciudad’ single for EMI-Odeon in October
1978, the Argentine Progressive Rock band Final resume
rehearsals of the remaining tracks for what would have been
their first album as was stipulated in their contract with the
recording label.
Some of the new song titles were ‘Cuadro’, ‘Por màs’ and
‘Como un arlequin’ which constitute a faithful reflection of
the group Mezzanine Period: structured following Roberto
Gessaghi / Alejandro Magurno’s Folk/Urban traditional stro-
phe/chorus concept. However, as Tony Pagliuca, ‘tastierista’
(keyboard player) of Le Orme, an Italian Progressive Rock
band, once said:
"We wanted to put some improvisations between the singing
parts and we had to make up our minds about the style to fo-
llow. After having been to the Isle of Wight Festival (1970),
it was clear to all of us that we couldn't keep on playing
the usual songs with verses and refrains" ;
Final’ band opted for a new format which included Program-
matic music in which the strophe/stanza/verse concept was
diffuse.
Musical forms such as the Symphonic Poem, Ballade, Suite,
Overture and some compositions in freer forms are named as
Program music since they intended to bring out extra-musical
elements like sights and incidents.The orchestral program mu-
sic tradition is also continued in some pieces for Jazz orchestra.
This criteria defines the last Orchestra Period of Final band.
Isn`t clear enough if Final band was or wasn`t working in his
concept album, but one thing is for sure, among those new song
titles there were two which bear the fingerprint of keyboardist
Guillermo Medin (Quistral, Berklee College of Music 1983/1985
Composition Awards, Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires,
Biorsi, Klhasch), an expertise in composition in which his chops
for orchestration/arranging craftsmanship are clearly displayed:
'Subte al Valle de los Espejos' and 'No vale la pena'.
Or the following taken at SantaFè Ave. subway gateway stairs:
All indicates that 'Subte al Valle de los Espejos' (Subway
to the Valley of Mirrors) would had become the title track of
their future album.
The keyboardist’s typescript original, says about 'SaVdlE'
Program music that is a Scenographic script (Guiòn sceno-
gràfico), which lead us to infer that they were planning to
subsume some staging:
Español
En Subte al Valle de los Espejos
Guiòn escenogràfico
English
By Subway to the Valley of Mirrors
Scenographic script
Español
La acciòn se desenvuelve en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, espe-
cificamente en su Linea “A” de subterraneos. Personaje:
El Pasajero.
English
The action takes place in the city of Buenos Aires, specifically
in its Line "A" [Note (¹) – Prologue] of subways. Character:
The Passenger.
Note (¹) – Prologue
By that time (1979), Buenos Aires Line "A" of subways, still
had the famous La Brugeoise et Nivelles wagons. The Line
"A" was inaugurated in 1913 being the first metro line to be
built in Latin America, in all Spanish-speaking countries and
throughout the southern hemisphere.
Español
Las pocas oportunidades en que se pueden ver a grupos de pa-
sajeros juntos sin otro motivo de distracciòn que ellos mismos
y/o sus semejantes es en los viajes de subterraneos. Al contrario
de cualquier otro medio de transporte, èste es el que màs impide
al pasajero evadirse con la realidad exterior. Las estaciones y
tùneles de los subterraneos son siempre iguales, sin muchas ca-
rácterìsticas que los distingan, por eso, la costunbre y la rutina
son las màs sentidas allà abajo.
Digamos que desde el instante que el pasajero desciende por las
escaleras para iniciar “su viaje”, la mente penetra en otra dimen-
siòn. La conciencia del Vacìo.
English
The few opportunities that groups of passengers can be seen to-
gether with no other reason for distraction than themselves and
/or their peers is on subway trips. Contrary to any other means
of transportation, this is the one that most prevents the passenger
from escaping with the external reality. The stations and tunnels
of subways are always the same, without relevant characteristics
that may distinguish them, therefore, the ordinay and the routine
are the most felt down there.
Let's say that from the moment the passenger descends the sta-
irs to start "his journey", the mind penetrates into another di-
mension. The consciousness of the Nothingness.
Español
• Escena 1 • Introducciòn
La violencia que significa estar en un cambio de dimensiòn. De
la realidad temporal, mundo de “cosas que hablan avisos”, a lo
atemporal, al vacìo, “Valle de los Espejos”. La confusìon reina.
El miedo a la libertad inusual se presenta.
English
• Scene 1 • Introduction
The violence that means being in a change of dimension. From
the temporal reality world of "things that speak advertisemnts",
to the timeless, to the nothingness, "Valley of Mirrors". Confu-
sion reigns. The fear of the unusual freedom arises.
Español
• Escena 2 • La llegada al Valle
A. La confusiòn se transforma en esperanza ante lo desconoci-
do. Aparecen luces y colores nuevos que atraen.
B. La posibilidad de conocer una existencia mejor que lo haga
sentirse vital. El Pasajero ya va sintiendo alegria.
English
• Scene 2 • Arrival in the Valley
A. Confusion turns into hope in the face of the unknown.
Lights and new colors that attract appear.
B. The possibility of knowing a better existence that makes
him feel vital. The Passenger is already feeling joy.
Español
• Escena 3 • Riff
A pesar de todo, el Pasajero estraña todas sus “cosas”. Èstas a
su vez, lo llaman hablàndole avisos.
English
• Scene 3 • Riff [Note (²) – scene 3 Riff]
In spite of everything, the Passenger misses all his “things”.
These in turn, call him by speaking advertisements to him.
Note (²) – scene 3 Riff
The word riff means a repeated musical pattern -usually short-
sometimes two or four bars long. The word riff entered 'musi-
cal slang' in the 1920's. As well as being a short series of notes
(a melody or tune), a riff can also be a chord pattern, a bass line
or musical phrase. Although ostinato and riff are almost the sa-
me, a repeated pattern of notes, the biggest difference is that an
ostinato is a repeated background pattern, sometimes a one or
two note rhythm. A riff instead, is usually more melodic, not
for background and doesn't necessarily repeats immediately.
Now, if we listen to James Brown, we will realize that we are
in the presence of neither a riff nor an ostinato, but of a vamp.
A vamp is a passage of instrumental music of fixed length, u-
sually pretty short passage, which can be played as many times
as needed to create time for some purpose. In musical theatre
or cabaret, vamps are often used to allow singers to deliver dia-
log or carry out stage directions within a song. James Brown
was fond of short, repeated passages over which he would vo-
calize and then conduct the band from one passage to another
whenever he was ready.
Español
• Escena 4 • Valle de los Espejos
Amplia armonìa de colores y sonidos. Las formas son propor-
cionadas y bellas. El Pasajero està en otra dimensiòn y ya pue-
de juzgar su condiciòn anterior. Ve cuestiones y se reconoce
imperfecto y contradictorio. El Valle le muestra como soltar
su sensibilidad. El Pasajero goza con lo que por èl fluye.
English
• Scene 4 • Valley of Mirrors
Wide harmony of colors and sounds. The forms are proportio-
nate and beautiful. The Passenger is in another dimension and
can already judge his previous condition. It sees issues and it
recognizes itself as imperfect and contradictory. The Valley
shows him how to let go off his sensitivity. The Passenger en-
joys what flows through him.
Español
• Escena 5 • Canto de Las Musas
Las Musas son Diosas que obran sobre la mente produciendo
mutaciones. El Pasajero ya siente Amor-Vida.
English
• Scene 5 • Song of the Muses
The Muses are Goddesses who work on the mind producing
mutations. The Passenger already feels Love-Life.
Español
• Escena 6 • Riff
A pesar de todo “las cosas” hablan sus avisos al Pasajero.
English
• Scene 6 • Riff
In spite of everything, “things” speak their advertisements to
the Passenger.
Español
• Escena 7 • Divertimento
El Pasajero se siente feliz por lo que le ocurre. Rie y juega.
English
• Scene 7 • Divertissement
The Passenger feels happy about what happens to him. He
laughs and play.
Español
• Escena 8 • Riff
A pesar de todo, “las cosas” hablan avisos.
English
• Scene 8 • Riff
In spite of everything, "things" speak advertisements.
Español
• Escena 9 • Canto del Pasajero
Despuès de la algarabìa, la meditaciòn y arrepentimiento por
las actitudes adversas. El Pasajero llora y luego se lamenta con
las Diosas.
English
• Scene 9 • Passenger Song [Note (³) – scene 9 Furore Trance]
After the hubbub, meditation and regret for adverse attitudes.
The Passenger weeps and then laments with the Goddesses.
Note (³) – scene 9 Furore Trance
Scene 9 - Passenger Song, might be the 1st build-up of atmos-
pheric texture, which we define as Furore Trance (rage), of
their time. A breakdown is a gradual removal of parts from the
mix, often accompanied by a slowdown in the tempo.
In Trance, this often results in no percussion, bass, or strings.
Then, slowly, parts are dropped back into the mix as a part of a
crescendo buildup leading to the climactic point in where bass
and drums kick excell in the mix.
It is this bass drop back into the mix that trancers talks about
when they describe the “drop”. In anthemic music like Trance,
it cues an orgasmic release of tension brought about by the break-
down and buildup process.
Progressively thickened tectures along with an increase in dyna-
mics are highly effective ways of creating energy followed by
euphoria. In the case of 'SaVdlE' scene 9, Final band does create
energy but not for achieving a climax of heavenly euphoria but
for bringing about a climax of raw earthly tension.
Scene 9 - Passenger Song, may be considered a crossover ver-
sion of classical (genre) verismo, a school of composition that
originated in Italian opera towards the end of the 19th century,
drawing it’s themes from real life and emphasizing naturalistic
elements. Some post-romantics of this period were Pietro Mas-
cagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco
Cilea and Giacomo Puccini.
Español
• Escena 10 • Introducciòn
Sin embargo el miedo a la libertad existe. Su necesidad y de-
pendencia frente a la realidad temporal de “las cosas que hablan
avisos”. El Pasajero ya no es tan dèbil como antes y se siente
fuerte para emprender el cambio de dimensiòn.
English
• Scene 10 • Introduction
However the fear of freedom exists. His need and dependence
on the temporary reality of "the things that speak advertisemnts".
The Passenger is no longer as weak as before and feels strong to
undertake the change of dimension.
Español
• Escena 11 • La Despedida. La Partida.
A. Las luces y colores despiden al Pasajero mientras èste se
aleja.
B. El Pasajero se siente agradecido al Valle y a sus Diosas por
haberlo recibido en su Dimensiòn. El Pasajero intuye que
algùn dìa se librarà de “las cosas que hablan avisos” y podrà
vivir en el valle para siempre.
English
• Scene 11 • The Farewell. The Departure.
A. The lights and colors say goodbye to the Passenger as he
walks away.
B. The Passenger feels grateful to the Valley and its Goddesses
for having received him in their dimension. The Passenger
senses that one day he will get rid of “the things that speak
advertisements” and will live in the valley forever.
Español
• Escena 12 • Introducciòn
La violencia del cambio de dimensiòn. El regreso a la realidad
temporal de “las cosas que hablan avisos”.
English
• Scene 12 • Introduction
The violence of the change of dimension. The return to the tem-
porary reality of “the things that speak advertisements”.
Final band inaugurated their III. ORCHESTRA Period when
premiered ‘SaVdlE’ in Mar del Plata (a summertime city located
400km south from Buenos Aires) in 1979 summer Rock Festival.
The Producer was Rubèn Elena, same who produced/directed the
American tribal love-rock Musical ‘Hair’ in Buenos Aires.
The production Sound Mixer (sound recordist) crew, head of the
sound department on location and responsible for the operation
of the audio mixer and recorder(s) which receive feeds from the
microphones on set, were Tòrax partners Guido Meda and ‘Fanta’
Beaudoux.
Crossover versions of classical Symphonic Poems can be found
in the extravagant efforts in the Progressive Rock, Hard Rock and
Metal: Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann’s
Earth Band, Henry Cow, Emerson Lake & Palmer in Britannia;
Aphrodite’s Child in Greece; Frank Zappa in the USA; Rush in
Canada and the (term by some related to the culinary Sauerkraut)
Krautrock’s Golden Age (1968-1974) [Note (⁴) – crossover] in
Germany.
Note (⁴) – crossover from the Avant-garde to Popular
In regard to Krautrock, this is encompassed in Takuara Records
blog, review titled: 1974 –Tangerine Dream / Phaedra. Was Tan-
gerine Dream’s Phaedra a consequence of Indeterminism ?
Argentine Progressive Rock bands of that Period mostly re-
flected those European extravagant efforts, which were once
defined by Crucis band lead guitarrist, Gustavo Montesano,
as ‘instrumental preeminence’:
“At that time the four groups with great instrumental pre-
eminence were Crucis, Espiritu, Madre Atòmica and OM.
Even Madre Atòmica and OM didn't get to record, well OM
recorded but did not come out on disk”.
However embracing a prominent instrumental style not always
meant originality was achieved, i.e. Crucis band 1977 title track
‘Delirios del Mariscal’ may be considered a resemblance of King
Crimson 1974 track ‘Starless’.
Whereas Crucis disbanded shortly after releasing their sole title
track album, Espiritu band went through at least four different
formations which included keyboard players Gustavo Fedel
Crisàlida (1975), Ciro Fogliatta (Libre y Natural 1976), Angel
Pititto (Angel Mahler) (Espíritu 1982 / En movimiento 1983)
and Ernesto Romeo (2002-2003).
Apparently, over the years their perception of ‘instrumental pre-
eminence’ experienced some crossroads which Osvaldo Favrot,
Espiritu band lead guitarrist, once described as a ‘collision with
reality’:
”In the seventies it was a generalized movement where most of
the people looked for spiritual paths, the afterlife, eternity and
others, therefore the music overturned that theme in its lyrics.
Today, talking about a song that has already been heard and
sung in many ways is not logical, in addition there are so many
things to say about what is now happening in the world, in our
country, it also has nothing to do with what it happened in the
seventies with what happens now. We have collided with reality
and we must talk about it”.
Seems Final band had already talked about those issues back in
1978, in their II. MEZZANINE Period, and opted to approach the
instrumental predominence with a different homophony [Note (⁵)
– homophony]. Extravagant efforts disguised as endless solos
were replaced by adroitness, ingenuity and lack of scruple in
facing reality.
Note (⁵) – homophony
Musical texture based primarily on chords, in contrast to poly-
phony, which results from combinations of relatively indepen-
dent melodies.
What makes Final band sound so distictive from other Argen-
tine Progressive Rock bands reside mainly in two elements:
A) Texture
The polyphonic texture with which they dressed up the ‘instru-
mental preeminence’ added variety to the mixture.
For instance, in ‘Subte al Valle de los Espejos’ • Scene 4 •
Valley of Mirrors, the concept of rhythmic and lead guitar dis-
appears by assuming two independent melodies (alto and tenor
voices) which with the ones performed by the synthesizer and
bass (soprano and bass voices) all conform a 4 part polyphonic
texture.
B) Orchestral colouring
This was mainly achieved by means of choosing instruments
that were not used by other Progressive Rock groups of that
period.
For instance, keyboardist relied in the ‘Carlo Robelli' super-
stringer model J-880 manufactured by Jen elettronica S.p.A.
Pescara, Italy:
‘Carlo Robelli' superstringer was responsible of all the transi-
tional passages which required vanishment or evaporation of
musical colors. This palette or range of colors can be appre-
ciated between • Scene 1 • Introduction end and beginning of
• Scene 2 • Arrival in the Valley. The metamorphosis of the
cathedral organ into a evanescence of strings blends beautifully
well with the bright sustained, shimmering sound of the ride
cymbals, known in the classical genre as suspended cymbals:
Between • Scene 4 • Valley of Mirrors end and beginning of
• Scene 5 • Song of the Muses. The stick ping is overtaken by
the wash [Note (⁶) – cymbal wash], then follows the ride cymbal
(piatto sospeso) roll which gives way to mid-range strings:
Note (⁶) – cymbal wash
The 'wash' is generally used for ride cymbals. When the tip of
the stick strikes the cymbal repeatedly, “wash” is the amount of
sound that builds and spreads through the cymbal around the
stick ping. In some cases the wash can drown out the ping.
In the reprise (• Scene 5 • Song of the Muses), the bright sus-
tained, glistening sound of the ride cymbal roll and followed by
the crash cymbal melts nicely with the high pitch strings:
Same color amalgamation can be noticed in • Scene 9 •
Passenger Song, Period 1 towards 2 of guitar soloing, when
the 20" followed by 22" ride cymbal roll fuses with strings:
And last but not least, the transfiguration of strings into cathe-
dral organ, between • Scene 9 • Passenger Song end and be-
gining of • Scene 10 • Introduction, which is accompanied with
the dashing sound of crash cymbals:
The other instruments played by keyboardist Guillermo Medin
were the Roland SH1000 monophonic analog synthesizer:
and a Rhodes Mark I Stage electric Piano:
all equalized by a Barcus-Berry 1336 mixer spring reverb 1977:
Taking in consideration that the sole register which we were able
to come by of 'Subte al Valle de los Espejos' is from a rehearsal
and not from a master done by a professional recording studio, it
wouldn’t be pretentious to affirm that Final band should be included
among the most promissory Argentine Progressive Rock bands of
their time.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)