Frank Zappa - Sinister Footwear, The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano, L.A. 1984
Музыка
A Zappa Affair, Zellerbach Auditorium, University of California, Berkeley, CA, June 16, 1984
When Kent Nagano, then director of the Berkeley Symphony, was in Paris at the Pompidou Center, he came across Zappa's name on the list of orchestral commissions by Pierre Boulez.
His curiosity piqued, he contacted Zappa, asking for scores to look at, for possible performance by the Berkeley Symphony.
"I didn't know what to expect these scores to be like," Nagano recalls, "maybe Rodgers and Hammerstein, some insipid sort of thing. But I know I didn't expect to see a work of the difficulty of an Elliott Carter, the complexity of Boulez, the sincerity of Takemitsu, and the driving intensity of Varèse."
The two started working together on four pieces - Bob In Dacron/Sad Jane, Mo 'n Herb's Vacation, Sinister Footwear, and Pedro's Dowry - and soon afterwards Nagano led the London Symphony Orchestra for the recording.
The Berkeley Symphony's "Zappa Affair" marked the first performance in the United States.
Sinister Footwear was premiered on June 15, 1984 at the same place.
Ballet in three scenes and 21 parts
• Scene one (Jake's bedroom, changing to a stylized industrial panorama)
1. Jake who designs it.
2. Somewhere in New Jersey where they make them.
3. Illegal aliens on a lunch break.
4. At the catering truck.
5. Jake eats a molded jello salad.
6. Jake's secretary.
7. Illegal aliens work slower in the afternoon.
8. Jake's secretary reads her magazine.
9. Illegal aliens want to go home.
10. Jake's secretary eats cottage cheese.
11. Ugly shoes on the assembly line.
• Scene two (black velvet backdrop with fun-house mirrors)
12. What you look like when you're wearing them.
13. Sometimes they make you walk funny.
14. Other people pretend not to notice.
15. Sometimes you have to take them off for a minute.
16. Then you put them back on because you think they look so good on you.
17. Children can also have ugly shoes.
18. The foot doctor says you might need an operation.
19. But you're going to wear them anyway.
20. Everybody has a pair somewhere.
• Scene three (surreal night club scene)
21. A place you can go when you've got them on
The Black Page - The Zappa Page / zblackpage
Пікірлер: 26
I flew to the west coast tohear these pieces played.
2nd mvmnt starts at 9:17, 3rd mvmnt starts at 21:07.
@santiagorojaspiaggio
Жыл бұрын
Thank you, man!
An astounding work performed by master musicians.
So greatful to find the full Sinister Footwear on YT. Thanks for this rare upload!
@blackpage1538
2 жыл бұрын
I shared it yesterday in the comments of this pic: facebook.com/zblackpage/photos/5107821452607582/
These were two shows. I went to both… 115 pieces in the Orchestra. 18 percussionist alone and they had to be on stage, the orchestra pit wasn’t big enough.
This really needs to be made into a ballet
@RoyalJelly
3 жыл бұрын
It was a ballet. I was at that show...there were Kabuki dancers working giant puppets, choreographed by Tandy Beal (that's why you hear people laughing here and there). I also saw a pro video set-up filming that night. It's criminal that a video was never released, it was brilliant. This may even be from the cassette recording I made.
@DaveWatts_ejectamenta
3 жыл бұрын
@@RoyalJelly wow, sounds amazing, you were lucky to be there
@varsityathlete9927
3 жыл бұрын
@@RoyalJelly the video recording probably exist in the zappa vault, so its certainly possible one day it will be released.
@kevinmathewson4272
2 жыл бұрын
@@RoyalJelly I'm commenting so I'll be occasionally reminded of this when other people comment
Jesus this is superb! Is there a better quality recording of this orchestra to be found? And how about a score ;)
@allotrope2978
2 жыл бұрын
The score is out there. I have a pdf of it.
@matijakrunic7498
2 жыл бұрын
@@allotrope2978 yes I've seen you channel and transcriptions. Immense. Where on earth is it to be found online sir ?
@allotrope2978
2 жыл бұрын
@@matijakrunic7498pdfcoffee DOT com SLASH sinister-footwear-by-frank-zappa-orchestral-score-4-pdf-free DOT html
@allotrope2978
2 жыл бұрын
@@matijakrunic7498 I hope this is useful to you. :)
When i close my eyes i see Tom and Jerry.
Unlike "Mos and Herbs vacation", the orchestral stuff on 200 motels, and the stuff on the Yellow Shark recording, this piece (SF) feels less like a modern classical work and more like a film score. The themes are epic though, but extremely syncopated
@gentle_goy23432
6 ай бұрын
Modern classic. Sounds like an oxymoron. Zappa never created anything like this. His works are not recognized as classics, perhaps someday. Zappa created music for himself and for those who are ready to listen, understand and enjoy it. The classics cared about form and harmony. Zappa, it seems to me, prioritized rhythm and timbre. Often his works suggest a clear melody, but just as much the opposite. It is versatile and eclectic. He loved different music and created different music. He experimented with sound recording and the Synclavier. Boulez, Stockhausen (especially Stock) were narrow-minded radicals, Zappa was pragmatic and used different means of expression.
@user-qm4uy2zl8o
2 ай бұрын
@@gentle_goy23432Thanks. Finally someone is able to articulate some of what Frank Zappa is about.
Why can't we get a release of this?
@blackpage1538
8 ай бұрын
Zappa himself didn't record it. It was broadcast on the radio (KPFA/KPFK) and bootlegged.
interesting
Sounds very evil, could imagine kent nagano on black n white perspective conducting the orchestra
@tomn9094
10 ай бұрын
Fela Kuti once said, music is the weapon of the future.