Varèse: Music for orchestra, Mon 8 May

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You guys have that luxury with the BBC orchestras and BBC patronage that we just don't have here in the US.

Something that needs to be said occasionally, most frequently to those in charge at the BBC itself. It's really great that this has been said from someone in the States, bsp - many, many thanks.

(Also rather amusing to hear Oramo say that if they had gotten more rehearsal time, they might all have dropped dead .)

[Serial_Apologist]

Caught this slightly (as opposed to just, FWIW) before the end of the 30-day limit a few weeks ago. Quite the event, as BeefO and fhg rightly noted, with Oramo, Alison Bell, the BBC SO and the chorus and all doing Varese's works proud. This is the kind of event that could virtually never be done on this side of the pond, except maybe by students from Juilliard, if enough from all years and levels can be put together. You guys have that luxury with the BBC orchestras and BBC patronage that we just don't have here in the US. (Also rather amusing to hear Oramo say that if they had gotten more rehearsal time, they might all have dropped dead .)

Did Frank Zappa ever promote Varese's work in the States, anybody know?

[bluestateprommer]

Did Frank Zappa ever promote Varese's work in the States, anybody know?

Yes. FZ wrote an article for Stereo Review about his admiration for Varese's music in 1971:

http://www.afka.net/Articles/1971-06_Stereo_Review.htm

There's also this NYT blurb from 1981, headlined:

"Frank Zappa to Take Part In April 17 Varese Tribute"

As well, from 2006: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...-varese.71330/
(possibly also: http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan...ent/ca-zappa29)

"Indeed, the last completed project of Zappa's life — an album of Varèse's compositions selected, supervised and, after a fashion, "conducted" by Zappa — has yet to be released.

Recording sessions for the Varèse album took place over 10 days in July 1993, five months before Zappa's death, on a Warner Bros. soundstage in Burbank not far from Zappa's home in the Hollywood Hills. The musicians involved were members of the German new music group Ensemble Modern, which had greatly impressed the demanding Zappa on a recording of Zappa's classical compositions, "The Yellow Shark." The Varèse album was to include "Hyperprism," "Octandre," "Intégrales," "Density 21.5," "Ionisation," "Déserts" and Varèse's original tape of "Poème Électronique" — which is roughly half of Varèse's total published output."

However, this album may have never actually been released, AFAICT.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks very much, BSP - most interesting!

[Bryn]

Just Google "zappa varese video" (without the quote marks) for more.

This may or may not be better audio quality, I haven't checked.