Frank Zappa, The Perfect Stranger - Ensemble intercontemporain 

Being that this same organization performed this work, among others, for the album of the same name back in early '84 (very nearly 35 years ago) it is nice to hear newer members of the same amazing orchestra tackle this piece. Also, that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the great Frank Zappa's passing, it is fitting that Ensemble Intercontemporain dug up and dusted off this old chestnut to perform again in Frank's honor. Happy Birthday, Uncle Frank. The eons are closing.

Just can't listen enough to Matthias Pintscher and the Ensemble Intercontemporain's performance of this great Zappa piece. Thanks again and again.

Frank is up there with the other greats.

Please play all of Zappa's orchestral work.. and then some. This sounds great.

I think Matthias Pintscher conducts this piece with far more enthusiasm than Boulez did in his recording. This version shows a lot more of affection for the material. Indeed, I think I'm loving this piece now thanks to Pintscher. (First time in probably 15 years, though.)

A really wonderful performance. So glad they are still performing this piece. Thank you.

This is 'program music' of sorts; here are Zappa's own liner notes for the album which inaugurated the piece: A door-to-door salesman, accompanied by his faithful gypsy-mutant industrial vacuum cleaner (as per the interior illustration on the "CHUNGA'S REVENGE" album cover), cavorts licentiously with a slovenly housewife. We hear the door bell, the housewife's eyebrows going up and down as she spies the nozzle through the ruffled curtain, the sound of the little bag of 'demonstration dirt' being sprinkled on the rug, and assorted bombastic interjections representing the spiritual qualities of chrome, rubber, electricity, and household tidiness. The entire transaction is being viewed from a safe distance by Patricia, the dog in the highchair.

Wow...that was just lovely! Wonderful performance!

Merci à tous l’ensemble intercontemporain pour cette prestation splendide - ce morceau plein de nuances et de contraste est tellement casse cou que peu d’ensemble peuvent l’interpréter avec tant de grâce et rendre une telle émotion et intensité - j’ai un souvenir inoubliable de votre prestation et je vous félicite pour l’immense travail que vous faites pour LA MUSIQUE - Music is thé best - Michel Froment

Une passerelle parfaitement réussie entre 2 formes de musique contemporaine: essentielle et géniale.

Ah yes - Loved this. Great performance, you really captured both the seriousness and the humour of the piece.

still love his music!

Yess! One of my favorite zappa pieces!!

Superb composition, superb performance

Great performance of such a great piece of music. A good, clear recording

Yeah!!! Excellent performance! Frank Zappa❤

such a great piece .. glad to'v experienced it with Berkeley(or San Fran) Symph. with K.Nagano & giant puppets many years ago...

Zappa and EIC the perfect meeting

Check out Penguin Cafe Orchestra, created by Simon Jeffes RIP, this music was highly regarded by Frank and is timeless and pure genius, life is good music

master piece

Very essential.

Masterpiece

Très bien! Merci, du Brésil...

Superb

where is the suddenly? the chaos, the unexpected?

Question: Does anyone know if the seating arrangement of the musicians is specified in the score? It seems like a very Zappa-esque thing to separate instruments (e.g., the 3 violins, or the 2 horns, etc.) symmetrically around the central listening axis for maximum "stereo-i-zation" in performance, rather than clustering them together in traditional orchestra family groupings.

Топ❤❤❤

Like

Opaque melodies that would bug most people

If i can give a tip: the mics are too close, or lacks of a room mic, this makes the music sound sharper and too dissonant, also not sounding in the same space. It is also disturbing to look at the tension, lack of enjoyment, lack of communication, and also lack of comfort of the musicians playing. COntradicts Zappa own legacy. But this is not to blame on the performance so much, or Zappa, but the fact that a video is shown. It is like instead of showing the pop corn for a child you show how the engine of the pop corn machine is working: nothing to do with what she is hungry for...

So this is a Buggs Bunny cartoon on acid? With a glass of water.

cso missed the boat by not performing this with boulez. fuddyduddyism. I'm tired of bach

this music sounds so old

I love Frank Zappa, but hate the atonal antimelodic wasteland that classical music turned into.

honestly .. since a couple years ago i have notice that Zappa might be a liiiittle overrated , specially by progressive rock fans. I mean if you comare this to the best valuated clasical avant composers, this sounds kind of simple, outdated and innocent