Barrock

The main characteristic of the Barrock lies in their musical language, taking direct inspiration from classical music styles, going from small Renaissance ensembles to important symphonic openings and using various composition techniques such as choral, fugue, madrigal, theme variations etc? It is a musical language easily moving from hard and electronic rock to gentler camera ensembles or to the most solid symphonic structures.

Famous guest players have participated in the group's recordings. Ermanno Giacomel - flute, Diego Cal - trumpet, Rossano Pal? ? electric guitar, are some of the virtuosi who have collaborated with the Barrock.

The group was founded in 1982, following the experience in classical music of the three original solo singers, Paola Polese, Graziella Vendramin and Laura Ivan, together with Valter Poles and Giuseppe Vendramin. Their search for rock innovation and for other kinds of musical influences led the group to the choice of a new rhythmic background. For this reason Maurizio Poles (drums player? Valter's brother) and Giampaolo Poles (bass player - Valter's and Maurizio's cousin) joined the group. They were in fact an experienced rhythmic couple playing with local groups. In 1985 Valter Poles and Paola Polese got married and it can be said, completing the family picture, that the group is composed by two Poles and Vendramin families. In the same period a cassette recording containing the first Barrock's works happened to be listened by the owner of a local recording studio. He was enthusiastic with the music and offered his collaboration for a professional recording of the group's songs.

The demo spread all over Italy, meeting favourable interest in the musical press. The Barrock were soon considered among the leading groups in Italian progressive rock and their participation in Exposure, the Dutch compilation released world-wide by ANDRAEA crt ? Rotterdam, represented the international introduction of the group. In Exposure, the Barrock played ?The Witch?, an instrumental and visionary rock song which is highly experimental. The Japanese Company releasing the compilation in Japan, Spring Song Corporation, was really interested in this new sound and offered collaboration for the CD recording. In 1991 the album titled L'Alchimista was released world-wide and got good success and favourable comments, particularly in Korea. Several record companies have been really interested in the Italian group. In 1994 the Dutch Company SI Music produced Oxian, the second Barrock's CD. One year later SI Music went bankrupt, so the Barrock had to find a new record company. The Italian Mellow Records released the latest album of the group, La Strega. It is an almost exclusively instrumental work, with the exception of two solo pieces which have been vocalized by Paola Polese. Graziella Vendramin didn't take part in the recording of this album due to her working abroad as a solo jazz singer.