On some iconic strategies in concept albums within the Italian singer-songwriter tradition
Storia di un impiegato (1973) by Fabrizio De André and Il giorno aveva cinque teste (1973) by Roberto Roversi and Lucio Dalla
This contribution will focus on the recurring iconic patterns originating from the combination of music and lyrics within the Italian singer-songwriter tradition. The main work to be examined is Storia di un impiegato by Fabrizio De André, while some attention will also be paid to Il giorno aveva cinque teste; the latter is the first album originating from the collaboration between the poet Roberto Roversi and the singer and composer Lucio Dalla. The type of iconicity present in these works arises from the interplay of music, performance style and lyrics, proceeding from the meaning of the text towards the form of the music or the purposely created sound effects. Iconicity here may range from a more direct representation of the object (iconic image) to a more abstract reference to it (iconic diagram). Music seems to contextually corroborate the meaning of the words (parameters such as major and minor harmonies, rapid or slow tempos, constant or variable ranges of pitch and dynamics are taken into account) and to guide the listener’s attention whilst listening to the albums.