The Classical Conspiracy is the second live album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. The recorded live show took part in Miskolc, Hungary on 14 June 2008 in the framework of the Miskolc Opera Festival, where the Swedish symphonic metal band Therion had done a similar show a year before. Epica performed on stage with a 40-piece orchestra and a 30-piece choir, entirely composed of Hungarian musicians conducted by Zsolt Regos. The expanded ensemble played classical music, excerpts from operas and movie soundtracks, as well as Epica's songs. The album was released on 8 May 2009 through Nuclear Blast Records.
This is the first album featuring Ariën van Weesenbeek as the new official drummer of Epica and also the last album with founding member and lead guitarist Ad Sluijter, who had already left the band when the album was released.
Track listing
Personnel Epica Simone Simons – lead vocals Mark Jansen – lead & rhythm guitar, grunts, screams, band arrangements on tracks 2, 6 Ad Sluijter – lead & rhythm guitar, editing Yves Huts – bass, band arrangements on tracks 5, 7, 8, 11, 12 Coen Janssen – synthesizer, piano, orchestral and choir arrangements, band arrangements on tracks 2, 4, 7 Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums
Additional musicians Amanda Somerville – choir vocals Agnes Liptak – choir vocals
Choir of Miskolc National Theatre Boglarka Jambrik, Edina Kecskemeti, Eszter Maria Papp, Eva Orth, Eva Vajda, Ildiko Simon, Zsuzsa Adamy, Zsuzsa Kurucz, Agnes Liptak, Anette Cseh, Angelika Hircsu, Diana Kuttor, Linda Dolhai, Maria Takacs, Mariann Majlath, Oksana Pascsenko, Andras Marton, Erik Molnar, Gergely Boncser, Gergely Irlanda, Laszlo Bodor, Nandor Nandor, Tibor Osvath, Akos Baksy, Balazs Kolozsi, David Dani, Ivan Nagy, Robert Molnar, Sandor Demeter
Extended Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra
Beata Lukacs – violin Benjamin Almassy – violin Boglarka Balog – violin Doris Tatai – violin Eva Siklosi – violin Maria Lazanyi – violin Monika Zsekov – violin Zoltán Ficsor – violin Zoltan Kerenyi – violin Zsofia Nagy – violin Tamas Kriston – violin Janos Feher – viola Jozsef Kautzky – viola Sandor Szabo – viola Tamás Tóth – viola Angelika Béres – celli Annamaria Bodi – celli Kamilla Matakovics – celli Arpad Balog – double bass Gizella Keresztfalvi – double bass Sandor Czimer – clarinet Tamas Fogarasi – clarinet Csaba Szilagyi – trombone Istvan Molnar – trombone Zoltan Kakuk – trombone Gyorgy Aranyosi – trumpet Peter Gál – trumpet Beata Tatar – oboe Janos Implom – oboe János Dobos – tuba Tamas Domotor – timpani István Halász – bassoon Krisztián Járdány – bassoon Eniko Frencz – French horn Ferenc Tornyai – French horn Gergely Opauszky – French horn Sándor Horváth – French horn Marianna Moori – flute Tamas Siklosi – flute Mark Virágh – percussion Andras Bujtas – keyboards
Production
Oliver Palotai – orchestral arrangements Sascha Paeth – mixing, mastering Zsolt Regos – choirmaster Tamias Kriston – concertmaster Hídvégi Dániel – live sound engineering Gresiczki Tamás – live sound engineering Olaf Reitmeier – editing Miro – editing Ad Sluijter – editing Simon Oberender – editing, mixing, mastering Stefan Heilemann – art direction, design Levente Kovács – photography Maria Schvab – photography Patrakov Alexey – photography Oleg Patrakov – photography Rita Miklán – photography Janos Adam – photography László Mocsári – photography Jan-Willem Stekelenburg - Epica FOH
Charts ChartPeakpositionDutch Album Charts23Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)82Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)58Switzerland Album Charts81France Album Charts23German Album Charts87
References