After much anticipation, I am delighted to see that the Italian pianist, keyboardist and composer, Massimo Pieretti has now released his second solo album, The Next Dream. Like his 2022 debut release, A New Beginning, it is a concept album, with Massimo joined by a wide range of guest musicians who help him shape his musical vision.
Four of the tracks have already been showcased on the Creature of the Night EP, with three of them also included on the recent live album, Things To Live!. However, these served as a tantalising taster for what the full album would be like. I am pleased to say that I have not been disappointed at all by the final unveiling of this wonderfully diverse and special musical release.
The album is a fantasy tale dealing with a dream-like world and the creatures that inhabit it and accompany us at night – and yet almost echoing the society we live in.
“This album is a rather different work compared to A New Beginning,” Massimo explains. “It is somehow more extreme, and jazz orientated. Hard and pop at once, richer in sound contrasts but also less orchestral.”
For me, the album is a wonderfully ambitious and musically diverse piece of work that whilst progressive in its vision, is a melting point of styles and genres, with classical, avant-garde, pop, rock and prog mingling with operatic and musical theatre touches. Massimo’s piano and keyboard playing underpins everything, but it is his compositional skills, backed by a dazzling array of guest musicians and vocalists, that impresses me most. The lyrics from Massimo and bassist Gianluca del Torto are full of evocative depth and mystery and complement the lush instrumental tapestry very successfully. The vocals do have a pan-European character to them at times, but this only adds to their charm.
The short, opening track, Come Heavy Sleep, is a modern, rearranged interpretation of a medieval song by the British musician John Dowland to reflect our times. It features Maria Chiara Rocchegiani on lead vocals, with Massimo on Clavicembalo, bass pedals & synths. John Hackett and Rob Townsend also supply touches of flute and soprano saxophone. There is a grandiose and atmospheric operatic and musical theatre feel to this overture-like track, with classical music touches and very nice guitar lines from Roberto Falcinelli, with Marco Lo Muscio on church organ. However, a dark, gothic feel enters towards the end with Claudio Milano’s distinctive and sinister spoken words, as he asked the nighttime visitor, “Do you want to steal my soul?”
Creatures of the Night, Part 1, introduces us to the inhabitants of our dreams. Claudio’s words welcome us “to the world of dreams”, with Germana Noage providing ethereal, Kate Bush-tinged vocals over the twisting, instrumental ensemble work, with Massimo’s jazz-rock electric piano and Simone Cozzetto’s wonderfully expressive guitar mingling with violin, cello and some interesting bass, Chapman stick and drum patterns.
Germana’s vocals questions who these characters are and what they want from us. Do they represent those we encounter every day in society or are they an extension of our multiple personalities? Are they there to enlighten us or to capture and feed on our energy? “You’re just standing still… scaring me out.” Claudio’s eerie closing question “Are you real or just a figment of my imagination?” resonates wonderfully at the end of this dark and dreamy track.
Get In Line (including Interlude Reprise) strikes a different tone and relates to Massimo’s own personal experience of being confronted by others about his alternative musical teaching methods within the existing educational system – with the lyrics mixing reality with a dream-like character. In this powerful song, Germana spars with Marco Ragni on vocals, creating an intense dramatic effect, with a rich, orchestral soundscape, mingling the delicacy of Lisa Green’s violin, Mauro Cipriani’s cello and John Hackett’s flute with the power of Fabio Lanciotti’s and Mark Cook’s guitar and bass lines, with the rolling drums of Fabio Moresco. Massimo’s piano and keyboards flow through the musical tapestry effortlessly, creating a holistic depth and beauty, through to the gentle finale.
The Chinese Witch (including Mo Li Hua) returns us to the nighttime world of dreams, but this track has a lovely, uplifting lightness of touch. Kate Nord’s operatic vocals soar high, over Massimo’s grand piano and some jaunty ensemble playing – mixing progressive rock and classical elements – along with a repeating lyric, “The Chinese girl, a wheel of fire. Dirty spell, two wicked eyes”. The closing section is an ethereal soundscape of avant-garde vocal harmonies, and the inclusion of a Chinese folk song called Mo Li Hua, with a gentle piano motif and the expressive singing of Maria. Our protagonist dreams of being within the dream of the Chinese witch, and the vocals subtlety touch upon our perception of Chinese culture, with Massimo describing the leitmotif of the song essentially saying, ‘I’m not afraid of the Chinese witch, I’m afraid of myself.’
I Dreamed of Flying, starts with the distressing voice of a 10-year-old Palestinian child who has lost family to an Israeli assault. However, there is a contrasting, serene feel here, with a classical blending of violin, cello and acoustic guitar, prior to Michael Trew’s lyrical and moving vocals, with Amy Breathe supporting on backing vocals. The song takes us up into the skies, and a broad cinematic soundscape throughout, enhanced by Andrea Amici’s Mellotron & synth solo and some gentle percussion from Mattias Olsson and warming fretless bass from Fabrizio Russo. Massimo directs this thoughtful song of hope overcoming despair, on grand piano and touches of Hammond organ, and it leaves you wanting to more, as this gentle music fades away on a single, hanging note. Massimo describes it as his Imagine 2.0 – a delicate song against war and violence worldwide – which seems very appropriate at this present moment in history.
Creatures of the Night, Part 2, has a more brooding symphonic metal character than its earlier companion song, with Laura Piazzai’s unsettling lead vocals complementing the dynamic instrumental flow, and Massimo’s keyboards, along with Nick Fletcher’s soaring electric guitar, ride the rhythmic waves of Mattias’s drumming and Billy Allen’s bass wonderfully. Lyrically, a real sense of nightmarish fear and threat pervades the song, with the urgency of the repeating “Leave them alone, leave them alone. You don’t need any help, oh” towards the end especially affecting.
Alone is a melancholic and thoughtful song about the loneliness of the artist, and the inability of others to help them at times. Lorenzo Cortoni provides the yearning, reflective vocals, with Peter Matuchniak proving some stunning virtuoso electric guitar playing. It’s another gorgeous song, which captures the struggles and falls of the artist, but then the defiant rising back up from such moments by their own efforts and insights.
The First Time We Met is very much a modern-day love story, based on Massimo’s personal experiences and his attempt to understand love and life. He describes it as a possible screenplay on the theme of romantic relationships, and the intimate lyrics resonate well. Lisa and Mauro’s violin and cello add beauty to the musical flow, with Vincenzo Zappatore’s lovely 6 & 12-string guitar accompaniment, with Francesco Mattei adding vibrant bursts of guitar soloing. Massimo’s flowing piano anchors everything, accompanied by Michael Trew’s rich and emotive vocals.
The album closes with The Next Dream, the epic title track that Massimo describes as his most ambitious composition to date. Essentially a 7-part mini-suite, with a theatrical ambience that rounds off the album’s journey of dreams. Dominic Sanderson adds slightly off-kilter and dramatic vocals, with Simone and Mark returning on guitar to great effect. The mid-section Presto instrumental is a stunning piece of ensemble play by all the musicians, with Marillion-like guitar and Mattias’s drumming also impressing. Kate returns on vocals on The Return Of the Chinese Witch with an epic flourish, before the return of Claudio’s dark spoken words remind us of the fine line between reality and dreams that has existed throughout the album:
Are you real or just a figment of my imagination?”
Have we awoken from a dream, or are we entering another one, we might ask ourselves?
The CD has a lovely acoustic version of I Dream of Flying, with Massimo’s grand piano and Lisa’s violin to the fore, and Germana’s soaring vocals providing a great alternative to the main album version. Both versions are equally as moving.
An additional track called The First Time – a beautiful solo piano version of The First Time I Met You from Massimo – will be available digitally in due course and really shows what a truly talented artist he is. His playing has such warmth and emotion to it.
The Next Dream is a wonderfully immersive musical tour-de-force showcasing the unique compositional vision of Massimo Pieretti, and the talented ensemble playing of the guest musicians he has gathered for this genre-straddling album mixing classical, pop, rock and prog with operatic and musical theatre elements. Ambitious, challenging, diverse, cinematic and sweeping in its overall scope, but with individual highlights to delight and savour throughout. For those willing to take embrace something different and experience music of great breadth and depth, The Next Dream is certainly an album worth exploring further.
TRACK LISTING
01. Come Heavy Sleep (1:56)
02. Creatures Of The Night, Part 1 (4:35)
03. Get In Line (5:01)
04. The Chinese Witch (7:10)
05. I Dreamed Of Flying (3:49)
06. Creatures Of The Night, Part 2 (4:56)
07. Alone (5:00)
08. The First Time We Met (5:17)
09. The Next Dream (7:45)
(a) Into The Dream
(b) With You
(c) Surrender
(d) Presto
(e) The Old Long Story
(f) Hurry Up
(g) The Return Of The Chinese Witch
10. I Dreamed of Flying (acoustic version) (3:46) [CD Bonus Track]
_________________
11. The First Time (solo piano instrumental) (5:17) [Future Digital bonus track]
Total Times – 45:29 (Ltd Vinyl) || 50:15 (CD) || 55:32 (Digital)
MUSICIANS
Massimo Pieretti – Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Hammond Organ, Synths, Clavicembalo, Bass Pedals, Backing Vocals
~ With:
Maria Chiara Rocchegiani – Vocals (1 & 4)
Claudio Milano – Backing Vocals (1,2,6 & 9)
Amy Breathe – Backing Vocals (5)
Germana Noage – Lead & Backing Vocals (2,3 & 11)
Kate Nord – Lead & Backing Vocals (4 & 9)
Laura Piazzai – Lead & Backing Vocals (6)
Lorenzo Cortoni – Lead & Backing Vocals (7)
Marco Ragni – Lead & Backing Vocals (3)
Dominic Sanderson – Lead & Backing Vocals (9)
Michael Trew – Lead & Backing Vocals (5 & 8)
John Hackett – Flutes (1 & 3)
Rob Townsend – Soprano Saxophone (1)
Lauren Trew – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet (8)
Lisa Green – Violin (1-9 & 11)
Mauro Cipriani – Cello (3,4,7,8,9 & 11)
Gianni Pieri – Cello (1,2,5 & 6)
Simone Cozzetto – Electric Guitar (2 & 9)
Roberto Falcinelli – Electric Guitar (2 & 4), Soprano Saxophone (2), Soundscapes (4)
Francesco Mattei – Electric Guitar (8)
Nick Fletcher – Electric Guitar (6)
Fabio Lanciotti – Electric Guitar (3)
Peter Matuchniak – Electric Guitar (7)
Jean Luc Payssan – Electric Guitar, Mandolin (1)
Luigi Pistillo – Acoustic Guitar (5)
Attilio Virgilio – Electric 12-String Guitar (6)
Vincenzo Zappatore – Electric 12-String Guitars (8)
Mark Cook – Fretless 8-String Warr Bass (3 & 7), Warr Guitar (3,4 & 9), Soundscapes (3)
Riccardo Ballerini – Grand Piano (2)
Marco Lo Muscio – Church Organ (1)
Andrea Amici – Mellotron (5 & 11) Synths (5 & 11)
Gabriele Pala – Chapman Stick (2 & 9)
Fabrizio Russo – Bass (2,3 & 11)
Billy Allen – Bass (2,3 & 11)
Gianluca Del Torto – Bass (2,3 & 11)
Tom Hayatt – Bass (2,3 & 11)
Michele Raspanti – Bass (2,3 & 11)
Mattias Olsson – Drums (2,6 & 9), Percussion (1,2,5,6 & 9)
Mirko Rovina – Drums, Percussion (1 & 2)
Fabio Moresco – Drums (3,4,7 & 8)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Chromasoma M
Country of Origin: Italy
Date of Release: 16th May 2025
LINKS
Massimo Pieretti – Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram
