Frank Zappa now at Schott Musik
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Schott Music is pleased to announce that it is now the worldwide representative of Munchkin Music for the orchestral and ensemble works of Frank Zappa, iconoclast, innovator, satirist, and above all, American composer. Known for his originality of composition, independence and certainly humor, Zappa was a fierce defender of the First Amendment of The U.S. Constitution and proponent of his own freedom of artistic expression in the face of public scrutiny, sitting on trial for obscenity both in America and the UK, and winning every time. Commissions most important to Zappa include those from Pierre Boulez (Ensemble InterContemporain) and the Ensemble Modern.
Perhaps Zappa is best described in his own words, from “The Real Frank Zappa Book:” ’I didn’t know anything about twelve-tone music then, but I liked the way it sounded. Since I didn’t have any kind of formal training, it didn’t make any difference to me if I was listening to Lightnin’ Slim, or a vocal group called the Jewels […] or Webern, or Varèse, or Stravinsky. To me it was all good music.’
’A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians. […] In my compositions, I employ a system of weights, balances, measured tensions and releases – in some way similar to Varèse’s aesthetic.’
’The orchestra is the ultimate instrument, and conducting one is an unbelievable sensation. Nothing else is like it, except maybe singing doo wop harmony and hearing the chords come out right.’