The first in a series of three albums dedicated to the great civilizations of the past and their mythologies, "Myth & History Vol.1" is an immersive sonic journey where Italian composer Giacomo Dell'Orso (husband of renowned singer Edda) explores key figures and events in ancient Egyptian and Israelite history, evoking the sense of mystery that surrounds them. He does so through a masterly use of traditional instruments such as percussion, gong, flute, trumpet, flugelhorn, harp, mechanical zither, and organ, as well as rarer instruments like the arghilophone (a wind instrument similar to a large ocarina) and the laminophone (a two-octave kalimba-like instrument designed by Dell’Orso himself).
Moods range from the bitter and elegiac (in “Osiris”, “Isis”, and “Cattività Babilonese”) to the ritualistic and celebratory (in “Genesis 17 - 1,2” and “Vitello d’Oro”), with some peaceful little vignettes (“I pigiatori d'Uva” and “Primizie”) weaving ethereal and contemplative atmospheres into the journey.
Further adding to the quality of the album is the presence of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player Cicci Santucci, who showcases his brilliant talent in tracks such as “Gran Sacerdote”, “A Gerico”, and “Davide e Golia”.