Orchestre Celesti is the moniker used by Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Federico Fantacone, with whom he offers Progressive Rock instrumental sounds that span genres and styles. The new album “Cornwall!” was released on January 08, 2024 and contains 8 long tracks including 3 epic tracks over 10 minutes long, in which he plays all instruments. From the first notes of the opener “Cornubia,” the artist shows his style steeped in sounds close to the Canterbury Scene, with that Prog contaminated with pronounced Jazzy overtones. The tempo changes are an added value to the sound, which allows you to move from energetic and intricate moments that act as a counterbalance to more symphonic openings, enhancing Federico’s technique. Accelerations, frenetic excursions in both melodies and rhythm section are the main feature of this excellent track. The album’s shortest track “The Song of Western Men” is a passage that combines experimental sounds with the UK-made folk tradition. Arpeggios and bagpipes that create dreamy atmospheres intertwine throughout the track, leading us to the next track with an epic ending. “The Battles of Lostwithiel” is an epic over 11 minutes long, opening with a deep organ, developing with a change an elaborate Prog theme that combines classic and modern. a continuous alternation of symphonic openings and elaborate passages, enhancing Federico’s compositional and performing technique and highlighting his talent on keyboards. In a continuous musical crescendo, evolving the central theme of the song with sophisticated soloist inserts and a good malgam between all the instruments. Dreamy piano atmospheres open “Ancient Dukes and Mythological Heroes,” another long track of over 10 minutes. After the piano intro, the artist develops an intense Prog sound, with a deep, load-bearing bass, solid and elaborate drumming, and on this rhythm section the keyboards are free to develop melodies and solo inserts, mixing the classical with the modern. In the middle part, a symphonic section of keyboards alone takes us to the second part where the artist offers a fine and steady increase in intensity that accompanies us to the finale. A pompous brass intro played on keyboards opens “The Ballad of Elisabeth Raby.” The track alternates long keyboard textures with deep and dilated sonorities with some parts where the rhythm section comes in, a good combination of Symphonic Prog and Experimental traits. “From Pickaxes to Weapons” is the longest track on the album, an epic over 14 minutes in length that opens with orchestrations and melancholic atmospheres. a markedly Experimental track, where the artist is adept at layering and evolving keyboard sounds through modulations. In the final part, the rhythm section enters and a prolonged solo keyboard insert accompanies us to the finale, where the more avant-garde sounds return. A well-constructed blend of Progressive Rock and Canterbury characterises “Ritual Dance of Mermaids and Seals.” The rhythm section is solid and elaborate, constantly evolving, while the keyboards offer sophisticated melodies and experimental passages. Very interesting is the saxophone solo insert created with the keyboards thanks to a sample, showing how the artist manages to combine classical sounds and innovation. In the finale, the sounds become electronic and with an acid touch, an interesting track that explores new territories in Prog and beyond. A dreamy piano opens the album’s closing track “Last Waltz for Captain Treeve.” The intensity increases as the minutes go by, passing through the various sounds that characterise Federico’s style from Jazzy to Prog viaCanterbury. A good track that leaves us wanting to hear more of this good work in the future. An entirely instrumental disc that enhances the compositional and performing technique of the artist, who is adept at spanning genres and styles. A tracklist that keeps the intensity high from beginning to end, offering eight elaborate tracks that are at times complex but always accessible to the listener. A recommended listen for all lovers of the more elaborate sounds of Prog with forays into Canterbury and Jazz and at times into Experimentation, with keyboards as protagonists.
Tracklist
01. Cornubia (7:14)
02. The Song of Western Men (4:38)
03. The Battles of Lostwithiel (11:16)
04. Ancient Dukes and Mythological Heroes (10:06)
05. The Ballad of Elisabeth Raby (6:25)
06. From Pickaxes to Weapons (14:41)
07. Ritual Dance of Mermaids and Seals (6:26)
08. Last Waltz for Captain Treeve (6:47)
Lineup
Federico Fantacone / Compositions and all instruments