Recommendation: Fugato Orchestra - Noe

Stop whatever music it is that you're listening to and play this!
Fugato Orchestra was founded by Hungarian composer and band-leader Balázs Alpár.

Born in 1982 in Budapest, Hungary, Balázs began his musical journey at the age of 6 studying piano playing. He earned his masters in composition at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and went on studying at the University of Music in Vienna towards his Ph.D. He also studied jazz and this is noticeable in his compositions. In fact, when listening to Fugato Orchestra's music, one will notice an abundance of styles and genres put to use, a plethora of influences in the music and a wide selection of instruments being played.

As Balázs himself says:

"We play pieces of many different styles, from medieval music through jazz-rock to synthesizer-fantasies, mixing the rhythms of jazz with classical harmonies, working with music of the past and present, and trying to learn from these musical experiments. "

He goes on to state his influences:

"Main influences:

After Crying, Jethro Tull, Dream Theater /Liquid Tension Experiment/, Queen, Mike Oldfield, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, John Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Pat Metheny, Blood sweat and tears, Gentle Giant..."

Of those I'll highlight the magnificent countrymen to Balázs, After Crying, whom you have to listen if you haven't already done so and if you like Balázs' Fugato Orchestra.

Fugato Orchestra is not Balázs' only musical output obviously, being a composer and a student in a graduate music program. He composes music for various formats, from classical music to soundtracks, to electro-acoustic to pop-rock. He also performs himself as a pianist and also plays flute.

Fugato Orchestra has released two albums so far: Neander Variations and Noé / Noah.

The latter one, is the one I'm recommending here.

A diverse album, you will get a taste of many musical flavours: classical, folk, jazz, electronic, rock, hip-hop... but above all, you get thrilling music, propulsive rhythms and hooking melodies. All presented in a rich orchestral sound and exquisitely performed.

A wonderful rockestra!

If you only listen to one piece from this album, listen to Hétnyolcad / Seven-eights.

Links:

Official website
Facebook
Prog Archives band page

Noé / Noah (2010, Periferic Records)
1. Pangari (5:15)
2. Hétnyolcad / Seven-eights (8:12)
3. Irish Coffee (4:56)
4. Nalvorelda (4:00)
5. Ébredés / Awakening (3:54)
6. Interlude - Nalvorelda remix (3:56)
7. Tatiosz / Tatius (1:43)
8. Világsíró asszony / The Timeless Weeper (2:33)
9. Csak egy népdal / Just a Folk Song (8:20)
10. Játszótér / Playground (2:00)
11. Poén / Joke (4:52)
12. Amália dala / Amália's Song (3:42)
13. Noé / Noah (15:02)

Total time 68:25

Lineup:
- Ferenc Puss / violin
- Melinda Csap / violin
- Izsák Farkas / violin, electric violin
- Dóra Jekl / viola
- Mihály Simkó-Várnagy / ello, electric cello
- Réka Barkányi / double-bass
- Kriszti Lukács / flute
- Péter Hargita / trumpet
- Dávid Scheich / oboe, vocals
- Gábor Valentiny / blockflute
- Anna Györfi / vocals
- Gábor Veisz / bass
- Zsolt Madai / drums
- Balázs Alpár / keyboards, melodica, vocals

Guest musicians:
- Veronika Harcsa / vocals
- Nikola Parov / kaval
- Orsolya Juhász / vocals
- Magdaléna Kakuk Anna / viola
- Zsolt Bartek / bass clarinet
- Tamás Szellinger / trombone
- Imre Szőke Zsolt / trombone