Tribute to Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa left this world on December 4, 1993, and the percussion classes and jazz department of the Lyon Conservatory are proud to play his music to celebrate his departure for “The Big Note”, the concept he developed throughout his all-too-brief life.

• Teachers Steven CRIADO and Jean-Luc RIMEY-MEILLE
• Eight-piece band: Bass, Drums, Digital percussion (congas, bongos..) , Guitar, Synth, Vocals, Vibraphone, Marimba

Frank Zappa has always been in touch with all kinds of music, and in particular with the classical repertoire.

At the age of 14, he discovered Edgar Varèse’s “Ionisation” and decided to play this music. After the composer’s death, he became the man his wife asked to speak about the master at conferences. Throughout his life, he listened to all kinds of repertoires, but “learned” music had a particular influence on his compositions. Attracted by the sound of classical orchestras, he would often dress up his records with these powerful sounds, such as Uncle Meat or 200 Motels. The latter was recorded by the Los Angeles Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta.

Later, he made two discs for solo orchestra, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kent Nagano, then in 1984 “the perfect Stranger” with the Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez. In the same year, he did not hesitate to make a pastiche of Italian composer Francesco Zappa’s music played by a computer, the ultimate provocation for Baroque music enthusiasts who go to such lengths to recapture the sounds of the period.

Finally, at the end of his life in 1993, he conducted Frankfurt’s Ensemble Modern in concert and produced the album “The Yellow Shark”. With his various “Rock” orchestras, he performed transcriptions of music by Maurice Ravel, Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky and others.

Finally, at the end of his life in 1993, he conducted Frankfurt’s Ensemble Modern in concert and produced the album “The Yellow Shark”. On stage, with his various “Rock” orchestras, he played transcriptions of music by Maurice Ravel, Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky…