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"A composer is a guy who forces his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the help of unsuspecting musicians."

Whether Frank Zappa understood himself more as a composer or as a rock musician, or perhaps as a satirist of the music business, depended on phases, moods, contexts and opportunities. In fact, he has written numerous instrumental works, even for larger ensemble or orchestral ensembles. Edgard Varese, Anton Webern, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Charles Ives were among his heroes of so-called e-music.

Only in Zappa's last years, thanks to a fruitful cooperation with the Ensemble Modern, some of this oeuvre came to life. In Freiburg, Wayne Marshall conducts a personal selection of works for the SWR Symphony Orchestra.

An evening of Zappa with Pygmy Twylyte!

So prolific was Frank Zappa's output, that it is nearly impossible to present a representative sample of his work in just one concert. Nevertheless, Pygmy Twylyte present you with an unmissable evening of Zappa 'classics', if indeed such things exist. 

Zappa's 70's and 80's work is the main showcase, though there is the occasional foray into 60's material. Expect some well known tunes such as "Cosmik Debris" and "Montana", interspersed with instrumentals like "Black Napkins" and "Chungas Revenge". The seven strong band will surely bring something to suit everyone's tastes (and maybe even a little of Zappa's trademark wit on the side...).

So prolific was Frank Zappa's output, that it is nearly impossible to present a representative sample of his work in just one concert. Nevertheless, Pygmy Twylyte present you with an unmissable evening of Zappa 'classics', if indeed such things exist. Zappa's 70's and 80's work is the main showcase, though there is the occasional foray into 60's material. Expect some well known tunes such as "Cosmik Debris" and "Montana", interspersed with instrumentals like "Black Napkins" and "Chungas Revenge". The seven strong band will surely bring something to suit everyone's tastes (and maybe even a little of Zappa's trademark wit on the side...).

The Yellow Shark

"The purity of his madness and mastery," said singer Tom Waits The Yellow Shark by Frank Zappa. With the album, the eccentric composer gave shape to his lifelong fascination with contemporary classicality just before his death. The multi-part composition is raw and varies from intimate piano pieces to music for a huge ensemble. Perfect for the Dutch ensemble Insomnio, who masterfully translates the very complex rhythms of The Yellow Shark into infectious play. A tribute to Zappa.

In line with Zappa's theatrical style, the Yellow Shark Suite is performed with the famous animations by video artist Sjeng Schupp.

Ulrich Pöhl conductor

The Yellow Shark

Frank Zappa was a man of many faces: rock guitarist, jazz composer and razor-sharp political satirist. In the last years of his life he established his name for good as a gifted composer. The last work he released for his death, The Yellow Shark , is his classic masterpiece. The Dutch ensemble Insomnio now brings highlights from The Yellow Shark with their performance.

Insomnio is a Dutch ensemble for contemporary music, specialist in the work of contemporary, mainly Dutch, composers and masterpieces from the 20th century. The complex rhythms and raw playfulness of The Yellow Shark is Insomnio. The Yellow Shark is one of the favorite works of singer-songwriter Tom Waits, who said: 'Frank Zappa rules with Elmore James on his left and Stravinsky on his right.'

Ulrich Pöhl conductor

Brad Lubman, conductor

Alain Trudel, conductor

Ilan Volkov, conductor

Hamish McKeich, conductor

ZAPPA WEEKEND - THE GRAND WAZOO

Frank Zappa, « The Grand Wazoo », s’est amusé de tout. Musicien ouvert à une très grande variété de styles, il fut l’admirateur de nombreux compositeurs du XXe siècle. Ce concert est conçu comme une expédition dans sa tête kaléidoscopique, entre esprit de satire, doo-wop et musique contemporaine.

Matthias Pintscher, conductor

Pour ceux qui souhaitent explorer l'univers de l'artiste avant le concert, un atelier de préparation a lieu le samedi 29 septembre à 9h30. 

Coproduction Ensemble Intercontemporain, Philharmonie de Paris

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor

Stressa Festival

F. ZAPPA, The Yellow Shark
Première in Italy

The Dog Breath Variations; Uncle Meat; Outrage at Valdez; Times beach II (brass quintet version); The girl in the Magnesium Dress; Be-Bop tango; Ruth is sleeping (piano solo); None of the Above (string quintet); Pentagon Afternoon; Questi cazzi di piccione; Times beach III (brass quintet version); Pound for a Brown; Exercise #4; Get Whitey; G-Spot Tornado

This concert marks the première in Italy of Frank Zappa’s last music project, The Yellow Shark, dated 1993, issued in a CD before his death. His use of a classical ensemble illustrates the outstanding creativity of this great American guitarist. He has no trouble tackling a contemporary piece but never loses his eclectic gift for producing a personal language that is always recognisable. Zappa’s stature comes through in every single item of this exceptional work, the musical testament of a great artist who left us too early.

Freak Out! Tribute to Frank Zappa

Conductor Daniel Carlberg

ZAPPA'S RADICAL CLASSICAL ROOTS

Orchestra 2001 and Artistic Director Jayce Ogren explore Zappa’s Radical Classical Roots in a World Café Live concert that pairs selections of Zappa’s chamber music with works by contemporary classical composers who were influential to his artistic development: Edgard Varèse, Pierre Boulez, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern. Integrated into the program will be discussions with one of the nation’s leading Zappa experts, Dr. Joseph Klein, composer and professor of music at the University of North Texas, who will explore the musician’s exceptionally wide range of compositional skills, and the musical and non-musical influences that are on display in The Yellow Shark.

Jerry Hou, conductor

Matthias Pintscher and the Ensemble of the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ALUMNI play the music of Frank Zappa, alongside pieces by Pierre Boulez and Edgard Varèse that influenced him as well as works by composers such as Olga Neuwirth, John Zorn, and Tyshawn Sorey that respond to Zappa.

Hans Leenders, conductor

Frank Zappa composed Yellow Shark in 1992 especially for Ensemble Modern. Tom Waits described it as one of his favourite works, writing "the ensemble is awe-inspiring. It is a rich pageant of texture and colour. It's the clarity of his perfect madness, and mastery. Frank governs with Elmore James on his left and Stravinsky on his right. Frank reigns and rules with the strangest tools." For the first time in Australia, musicians of Ensemble Modern perform Zappa's Yellow Shark with ANAM in a concert that promises to be a thrilling experience for musicians and audience alike.

MUSICIANS
Members of the Ensemble Modern:
Dietmar Wiesner flute
Saar Berger horn
Jagdish Mistry violin
Hermann Kretzschmar piano

Johannes Debus conductor
ANAM Musicians

Alan Pierson, conductor

Mark Tse, conductor

The American Frank Zappa was one of the great geniuses of postwar music. The untouchable modern master Edgard Varèse was his hero. Zappa himself drew not hesitate to throw everything into the mix: Stravinsky, jazz, rock and bawdy jokes. It makes Zappa's music instantly recognizable, but devilishly difficult to implement. Fortunately there is Ensemble Musik Fabrik. This international top ensemble is just as broad view as Zappa plays his music for years exactly as it should be: on the tops of their abilities, with all the stops. The emphasis in the program with Zappa's jazz rock period of the 70s, the time of steaming big bands and hallucinatory improvisations. The notoriously tough Black Page sounds even in three different versions. As a tribute to Zappa's hero program begins with classic Varèse's Ionisation.

Ulrich Löffler, keys

Frank Wingold, electric guitar

Christopher Brandt, electric bass

Dirk Rothbrust, percussion, conductor (Zappa)

Paul Jeukendrup, sound direction

Ensemble Musikfabrik

Carl Rosman, conductor (Varèse)

Ali N. Askin, arrangements

Introductory talk at 7:15pm

Michael Votta, conductor

Jonathan Stockhammer, conductor

Concert introduction with documentary in Werner Otto Hall at 7pm: 
Ulf Werner in conversation with members of the Ensemble Modern. 
Film Screening AAAFNRAA - Making of "The Yellow Shark" (30 min, Germany 1992). Free entrance with ticket for the concert at 8pm in the Great Hall.

Owen Underhill, conductor

Musical Director: Michael Wendeberg 

Pianos: Antoine Françoise & Stefan Wirth

Angela Schroeder, conductor