Norrlandsoperans Symfoniorkester plays Zappa

Norrlandsoperans Symfoniorkester in Umeå, Sweden continues to pick up works from the Frank Zappa "songbook". On October 22 the orchestra (under the baton of Rumon Gamba) will perform Zappa plus music by Edgard Varèse, John Adams and Igor Stravinsky.

Updated Oct. 27, 2009: The Radio Dupree staff enjoyed the radio broadcast but unfortunately the orchestra did not perform Dog Meat and Revised Music. The scores arrived too late so the orchestra did not have enough time to rehearse them properly. We got Peaches twice instead. The concert was sold out and got very good reviews in the local press.

Updated Oct. 8 & 22, 2009: Swedish Broadcasting (Sveriges Radio) plans a live broadcast of the concert nationwide on the radio channel P2 this evening, or maybe only a part of it (if so, we hope for the Zappa part).

Here are the links!

Read more about the concert here (Swedish).

Listening links - streaming live:

Windows Media high

Windows Media low

Real Audio

On Air 7.00 - 10.30 pm Swedish/Central European Time. Check what time that is where you live using http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/custom.html?sort=1

The programme:
Varèse: Octandre / Adams: Eros Piano / Stravinsky: Scherzo a la Russe / Zappa: Naval aviation in art, Revised music for low budget orchestra, Dog breath variations / Uncle Meat, G-Spot tornado, Peaches en regalia, Be-Bop Tango

The orchestra has performed Zappa's work before. A member of the Radio Dupree staff recalls an evening with Dog Breath Variations on the repertoire, and a whole bunch of Zappa pieces were performed at the Umeå Chamber Music Festival in 2003.

King Crimson 40th anniversary releases

DGM (Discipline Mobile Global) is now taking pre-orders for three King Crimson albums of the 40th anniversary series: In The Court Of The Crimson King, Lizard and Red.

Red (DVD-A & CD)
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dgm&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=897075831&Count2=814216256&ProductID=1105&Target=products.asp

Lizard (DVD-A & CD)
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dgm&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=658748805&Count2=575889229&ProductID=1111&Target=products.asp

In The Court Of The Crimson King (DVD-A & CD)
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dgm&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=6405055&Count2=923545479&ProductID=1110&Target=products.asp

In The Court Of The Crimson King (Deluxe 2CD)
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dgm&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=213451564&Count2=130591988&ProductID=1109&Target=products.asp

The new releases include lots of extra material, but most of it seems to be alternate mixes and instrumental versions (the album track minus the vocals, huh?). One of the more interesting things seems to be the video stuff on Red, four tracks (in mono sound) from a 1974 French television broadcast:
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic: Part II
2. Lament
3. The Night Watch
4. Starless

Radio Dupree top 10

Here are the most popular songs played on Radio Dupree during September:

1. King Crimson - Starless - Red
2. Frank Zappa - Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy - Joe's Menage
3. David Bowie - Don't Look Down - Tonight
4. Walter Becker And Donald Fagen - Android Warehouse - Catalyst
5. David Bowie - Let's Spend The Night Together - Ziggy Stardust (soundtrack)
6. Walter Becker And Donald Fagen - Yellow Peril - Catalyst
7. Moraz/Bruford - Childrens' Concerto - Music For Piano And Drums
8. Miles Davis - Katia - You're Under Arrest
9. Rick Wakeman - Catherine Howard - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
10. UK - Presto Vivace And Reprise - UK

Well, how about that? A 12 minutes long prog monster song topping our monthly chart! Glad you liked it! At a first quick look the chart of the month is dominated by David Bowie and the early Fagen/Becker duo. They have managed to sneak in two songs each.
But if you think for a while, there is another musician that is present on three of the songs on our top 10 chart: Drummer Bill Bruford! He plays on Crimson's Starless, UK's Presto Vivace And Reprise and of course on the Bill Bruford/Patrick Moraz collaboration Childrens' Concerto.
What about the Album of the Month then, Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage? Well, two tracks from that album wound up as number 11 (Stick It Out) and 12 (Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up). Not too bad!