Perhaps also because the show needs a bit of running in, everything is, as usual, live, or perhaps because we still have a living memory of the past editions' songs. The point is that yet again, for the moment, the true character of this year's event eludes us.

The striking set design has for certain the merit of helping us forget the past edition, which was lacking in terms of scenography and direction and gives a visual width to the event that the Ariston stage has probably never had. Baudo himself seems self-contained, but we should probably wait for the next few evenings to establish this for certain. He even appeared on stage after Fiorello and was presented by him playing along happily with lively, albeit pre-set gags.

His two beautiful partners, Manuela Arcuri and Vittoria Belvedere, succeeded in quickly overcoming the usual excitement, proving themselves to be the most natural to appear on the Festival's stage in the past decade, an undoubted sign of sobriety and professional stature. Basically all goes on unhindered under the knowing direction of Gino Landi, between advertising breaks and connections with the post-festival managed by Ventura and Giorgino.

How about the songs though? Baudo insisted a lot on quality choices and we don't wish to contradict him, if it weren't that the greatest part of the songs, for the moment, seemed obvious and not very incisive, if we exclude the very talented Alexia who, as a Festival debutante, is the only one holding a song of International breadth and especially in line with the times and Francesco Renga who presented a classic track but a very intense and melodically very beautiful one.

All the rest seemed fairly boring and not very original and brings back Italian song by about 30 years, almost as thought they were songs that had been excluded from the Sixties' Sanremos. The only one in line, therefore, seemed to us to be Gino Paoli who, at least, has the bonus of having done Sanremo only in those years and thus artistically represents that period in particular.

Let us mercifully ignore the lyrics, besides those quoted, the most interesting one seemed to be that of Mariella Nava, a pure songwriter's blood that never fails. Basically this is to speak of the songs average and we will not pass further judgement on vocal renderings, of amateur show quality.

We consecrate as our winner so far the young Alexia, full of energy and with a track of certain success. All this while we wait for the "New Offers" who will start their performances tonight.

The evening is concluded with the first partial voting of the jury who has laid out a preliminary chart, which is still all to verify:

 1  Matia Bazar

 2  Alexia

 3  Enrico Ruggeri

 4  Filippa Giordano

 5  Gino Paoli

 6  Mariella Nava

 7  Leali - Corna

 8  Francesco Renga

 9  Michele Zarillo

 10  Fiordaliso

 11  Gazosa

 12  Daniele Silvestri

 13  Gianluca Grignani

 14  Alessandro Safina

 15  Nino D'Angelo

 16  Patty Pravo

 17  Loredana Bertè

 18  Timoria

 19  Lollipop

 20  Mino Reitano