FÖLD ÉS ÉG

The first impression that this album leaves is of a sort of follow-up or tribute to the most orchestral things of EL&P. "Manticore érkezése" (The Coming of the Manticore) is a clear remind to them since its title. Not all the track (both Part I and II) as well as not all the album is a tribute to ELP. Effectively the last two minutesof Manticore érkezése Part II and many other moments in the album are not totally ELP oriented, and are also my preferred parts.

This means that the worst parts of this album sound like Emerson Lake and Palmer!!! Can you imagine how the best parts are?

"Enigma" is one of the tracks with less affinities with ELP. The classical athmosphere built by cymbals and choir then brasses makes them more close to Arvo Part.

Bass Piano and Drums on "Rondo" remind to Works or to some parts of Trilogy, instead. A very nice instrumental track that could have been recorded on Works, specially for the "fast- ragtime" section. Highly enjoyable.

"Zene Gitarra" (Guitar Music) is what the track's title says: a good classical guitar solo with some hints of bossa-nova sometimes, but mainly oriented to classic. Steve Hackett would like it. Also the birds in the backround.

A church choir makes "Leltar"(Inventory). This song has some affinity with some alpine traditional music: not the yodel, of course. I mean the choral music typical of the alpine area. It may be a reminescence of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The trumpet on its final is fantasticly sad.

"Cissz-Dór koncertetüd" I think, but I'm not sure, that's an excerpt from a piece of classical music. It should mean "Concert in C minor".

"Puer Natus In Betlehem" is Latin, not Hungarian (Child born in Betlehem). Is another classical oriented track. For my tastes it's a symphonic masterpiece. The orchestra is lead by the trumpet. It's unusual to hear a trumpet leading a piece (unless we are speaking of jazz and of Miles Davis, of course).

"Judas" starts very darkly with the trumpet still leading, as it was the end of the story of the Betlehem child, but it suddenly transforms into a pure progressive-rock suite on which all the instruments have their room. The melody on the singed part makes me think to Vangelis, but I don't know why. Maybe something in the melody, but at the same time this melody is easily recognizable as belonging to the After Crying, not only becuase it's sung in Hungarian. "The choir "Judas" on the chorus may remind also to "Poor ole Judas" on Jesus Christ Superstar, but it's just a coincidence. The electric guitar backing the vocals in the second part of the song is not a great idea in my opinion, but this makes sense later when trumpet and guitar share the audience by sounding and responding. The flute remains always in the back, but the few parts on which it becomes evident demonstrate the skill of the flutist.

"Bár éjszaka van" (Even if it's night) is as the title says, what I call a "blue effect" song. Imagine to listen to it in a hot summer night. A relaxing environment but far from sleeping. "Blue Effect" is the light use in Theatre and sometimes in movies to simulate the night. It's the moonlight. This is a song made of moonlight.

The closure is a folky track based mainly on piano and voice: "Kétezer év" (2000 years). It's the best conclusion to an album entitled "Föld és ég" (Earth and Sky).

4+ stars