Open Web Player
![The Mothers 1971[Super Deluxe 8 CD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91QTrla1z8L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
![Waka/Wazoo[5 CD set/Blu-ray Audio]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81dswqlLGvL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
For most of his life Frank Zappa wanted to be a "serious" "classical" composer. Not only is his rock and fusion music often infused with influences of Varese and Webern but he wrote contemporary classical music throughout. The problem is he could never find anybody he felt was willing to put in the time or effort to play it the way he heard it in his head. Boulez was enough of a believer to conduct some of Zappa's music but Zappa believed even he didn't rehearse the pieces enough for the orchestra to get all of the rhythms right.
Then came The Yellow Shark Project initiated by the Ensemble Modern. They took a year to learn all of the intricacies of the music, not just getting all of the rhythms right, but the feel and emotion as well. Although critically ill, Zappa was able to attend the opening, conducting a few pieces, and hear his music the way he "envisioned" it. He also got to hear the thunderous applause and read the often-times conservative critics' rave reviews. It took him a life time, but he was finally considered a serious contemporary composer by the music establishment.
As Frank Zappa had a wide variety of influences, there is a wide variety of music on the CD, music which spans a good portion of his musical career. It includes everything from almost straight transcriptions of some of his rock songs that would have been at home on "Roxy and Elsewhere" to pieces for wind and string quartets that could have come from a traditionally trained late 20th century composer. Some of the reviewers here do a great job of expressing they type of music you will find here so I won't go into any more depth except to say you need to listen carefully to the music behind "Welcome to the United States" to appreciate Zappa's genius on it....
I have listened to quite a few rock artists' attempts at "contemporary concert music". With the exception of Zappa I don't feel any have been too successful. It is obvious that Frank understood and loved "modern classical" music. It was in his veins. In some ways I feel Frank Zappa's relationship to classical music as a rock musician was similar to George Gershwin's as a jazz musician.
Oh yes, everyone must hear this version of G-Spot Tornado...
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2010
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2009
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2019
Top reviews from other countries
John Smith
Classical Zappa superb recording.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2023
