Francesco Zappa
Studio album by
Frank Zappa
ReleasedNovember 21, 1984[1]
RecordedFebruary - April 1984
StudioUMRK (Los Angeles)
GenreChamber music, electronic
Length37:46
LabelBarking Pumpkin
ProducerFrank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Them or Us
(1984) 		Francesco Zappa
(1984) 		Thing-Fish
(1984)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Francesco Zappa is a 1984 album by Frank Zappa. It features synthesized arrangements of chamber music by the Italian composer Francesco Zappa, who composed between 1763 and 1788.

Album origins

David Ocker played a piece of Francesco Zappa's music for Frank Zappa because it was popular with some college music students. Because Francesco's music was not published and could only be found in the Mormon library, Frank decided to publish it. He then programmed some of these pieces into his new Synclavier synthesizer.[3]

Finding the composer's works

Frank found an entry for Francesco in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and then researched his sheet music in the library at UC Berkeley. According to The Real Frank Zappa Book, the two musicians are not related.

Album content

Francesco Zappa was the first full album on which Frank used the Synclavier,[4] but Synclavier pieces appear on "The Perfect Stranger" and on "Thing-Fish" as well.

Track listing

All selections composed by Francesco Zappa.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Opus I: No. 1 1st Movement: Andante"3:32
2."Opus I: No. 1 2nd Movement: Allegro con brio"1:27
3."Opus I: No. 2 1st Movement: Andantino"2:14
4."Opus I: No. 2 2nd Movement: Minuetto grazioso"2:04
5."Opus I: No. 3 1st Movement: Andantino"1:52
6."Opus I: No. 3 2nd Movement: Presto"1:50
7."Opus I: No. 4 1st Movement: Andante"2:20
8."Opus I: No. 4 2nd Movement: Allegro"3:04
Side two
No.TitleLength
9."Opus I: No. 5 2nd Movement: Minuetto grazioso"2:29
10."Opus I: No. 6 1st Movement: Largo"2:08
11."Opus I: No. 6 2nd Movement: Minuet"2:03
12."Opus IV: No. 1 1st Movement: Andantino"2:47
13."Opus IV: No. 1 2nd Movement: Allegro assai"2:02
14."Opus IV: No. 2 2nd Movement: Allegro assai"1:20
15."Opus IV: No. 3 1st Movement: Andante"2:24
16."Opus IV: No. 3 2nd Movement: Tempo di minuetto"2:00
17."Opus IV: No. 4 1st Movement: Minuetto"2:10

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Frank Zappa Official Discography, Francesco Zappa". Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, W. (2011). "Francesco Zappa - Frank Zappa | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  3. ^ "The Complete Mark Pinske Interview - Day Three - Part Two". Mixonline.com. 2003-01-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  4. ^ "The Complete Mark Pinske Interview - Day Two". Mixonline.com. 2003-01-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-07-11.

External links

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention album discography
Authority control databases
Categories