Francesco Zappa (album)

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.

Francesco Zappa
Studio album by Frank Zappa
Released	November 21, 1984[1]
Recorded	February – April 1984
Studio	UMRK (Los Angeles)
Genre	Chamber music, electronic
Length	37:46
Label	Barking Pumpkin
Producer	Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
Them or Us (1984) Francesco Zappa (1984) Thing-Fish (1984)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

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 appeared on The Perfect Stranger earlier that year, as well as Thing-Fish, also released in 1984 but recorded earlier.

Track listing

All selections composed by Francesco Zappa.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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

• Performed by The Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort (Frank Zappa, conductor)
• Produced and orchestrated by Frank Zappa
• Synclavier document encryption: David Ocker
• Engineered by Bob Stone & Mark Pinske
• Cover painting by Donald Roller Wilson
• Collage by Gabrielle Raumberger
• Graphics by New Age Art

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

• Album details
• Release information