Frank Zappa - The Little House I Used to Live In for Piano (1970) [Score-Video]

Frank Zappa - The Little House I Used to Live In for Piano (1970)
pianist unknown
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[@timothyj.bowlby5524]

Neat. Has some, for me, at least, some reminiscences of Schoenberg, Prokofiev, and Scriabin in it. Thanks for uploading this.

[@7karlheinz]

Years ago when I found a copy of The Frank Zappa Songbook I tried to play this piece. My sight-reading skills were intermediate, so I was plinking and plunking the notes really having a difficult time of it because I didn't realize (until I heard this version by Tomoko Mukaiyama!) that it was somewhat different from the version on Burnt Weeny Sandwich. It was revised by Zappa possibly for inclusion in the FZ Songbook. I personally do not find any of the changes in the revision as improvements to the piece.

[@chrisbeaumont4630]

It sounds a lot like the 1978 version, my favourite version being on the Project-Object bootleg recording of the 21 of September 1978 Mair Hall concert.

[@chrisbeaumont4630]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5K8oIuZfaacfNk Hopefully this comment isn't removed

[@jonathonbuttery2041]

Agree, it’s not better. If you listen to the newly released Hot Rats sessions, during which they recorded this piano part, you can hear that Underwood is probably improvising, and there were several versions. Maybe Zappa wanted it to be more by himself. I really like Zappa a lot, but he often made things worse later.

[@jonathonbuttery2041]

@prependedprepended6606 probably a mix of improvising and written (by Zappa). The music sounds v much like Zappa so I doubt it was Underwood simply improvising 100%. Zappa often gave suggestions, written or otherwise, and had his musicians improvise. Also, he wouldn't have needed to 'call in someone' to notate it. Underwood himself did the transcriptions for the book @7karlheinz mentions. Zappa could also have done them himself.

[@FoivosApostolou]

This is great! Wonderful addition!

[@skirhir]

That last note, LMAO

[@seiph80]

Thanks so much for re-uploading; been looking for this version and is also my favorite of all piano renditions of this piece!

[@Civilizashum]

much of this reminds of Scriabin, here

[@samuelmincarelli5051]

More so Obukhov to me

[@charcolew]

I coughed right on time! Good old coronavirus!

[@teedub9295]

Out of the entire score, I can do the last "note".

[@geoycs]

Cool!

[@gentle_goy23432]

Прекрасная фортепианная прелюдия. Заппа больше ничего подобного не писал? Очень в стиле Дебюсси и Равеля.

[@AlexShade]

Any idea what compositional method was used? I love this use of augmented triads and (seemingly) atonal quality -- can anyone spot a coherent logic? I'm interested in exploring these textures :)

[@powblockmaster]

The format is basically ABA. A lot of this is constructed via motifs based off of intervals. For example, the first 5 measures are all planing/parallelism augmented poly chords. The main logic to this is how these augmented chords go from tense to not tense as the intervals between the two chords shift from some sort of Major 2nd and Minor 2nd. He does the same thing in measures 16-18. It's basically extremely chromatic impressionism. Other factors are Zappa loves chord extensions (7s, 9s, 13s), and the "non functional" scale steps in general (2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th) interacting with the tonic. The general idea is Zappa has several motifs or gestures he flows through to create a feeling of melodic freedom in the structure. This piece itself is basically extreme chromatic impressionism, so things like debussy, bartok, ravel, hindemith, and messaein are a good place to research to understand the influence on this piece.

[@AlexShade]

@@powblockmaster Thanks for the response! Specifically for the extensions, can you illustrate where in this piece you describe? I'm very fond of Messiaen and Bartok, and to some extent Ravel and Debussy -- but I do have a little trouble trying to find a logic when approaching composition from a chromatic perspective. Did he harmonize a simple melodic motif with those augmented chords or did he start from a harmonic point? Anyway, I have always loved this piece :)

[@powblockmaster]

@@AlexShade The augmented chords seems to just be a harmonic motif based off of different degrees of tension. The roots usually only move a 2nd, which compliments him having 2nds (7ths, 9ths) intervals being created by these chords that rub together. The first measure does outline an E/G relationsip which the augmented chords go from Gflat to Eflat in the right hand, and Fflat (E) to E in the left hand. Measures 7, 8, 9 for example are a lot more simple. I would call the chord in 7 a C6/9 with the melody notes playing a 12th (5th), 13th(6th), and 14th (7th), then it becomes a c#m11b13 for two measures with the melody creating a 9th, 8th, 11th, 9th, 8th interval above the big chord. You can also see this from the sequence starting at measure 19. Here he has huge intervals that create dense harmonies, and later on ambiguous ones due to the extensions that he modulates back and forth to. Beat 1 of measure 19 is a Cmaj9#11 for example. All of this is basically just oscillation via planing, and huge, extended intervals in this middle section. I'd view this piece as "sound painting" and an experiment in tone color. In general, Zappa seems to be intrigued with intervals and what they imply. This piece it is used harmonically, but a piece like Uncle Meat Zappa uses very specific intervals to construct his pandiatonic (non functional) melody. if you want to discuss this you can add me on discord Oh no!#8692

[@AlexShade]

@@powblockmaster Ah I see - I think I understand. So what he's doing with the major chords for "Who Are the Brain Police", or moving around his shapes in Zoot Allures or the vamp for Sleep Dirt -- it's essentially approaching it with harmonic planing, rather than any functional logic? He plays around with shapes until it sounds right? In the case of this piece, creating bitonal chords to create extensions that he personally finds interesting while manipulating the tension and release?

[@maxaronow712]

None of these people are correct. It's composed with "12 tone rows", a concept pioneered by Schoenberg and Varese. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-tone_technique

[@GuyGonzo]

We’ll done! I especially liked the bleeting goat at the top

[@franceskinskij]

who put sheep in the background?

[@supasayajinsongoku4464]

Bruhh is this the same guy who did muffin man?

[@sennoide.sounds]

yep, it's crazy right?

[@John_13_35]

The Maestro was writing orchestral works in his late teens if memory serves me right

[@tomgrosemusic]

This isn't a transcription of the piano solo played by Ian Underwood at the beginning of the album version. What's the source for this rendition?

[@GNGianopoulos]

The sheet music is published and readily available - anyone can play it.

[@linuslauterbach2975]

Is there a missing change in notation to bass clef in the right hand in measure 6? I don‘t get how to play that part otherwise

[@EsPoReNg]

Yes, it's an error in the book.

[@Massigangster]

Hi, is there a way to find the score for this for print? :)

[@GNGianopoulos]

www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/the-frank-zappa-songbook-volume-1-sheet-music/20371375?adpos=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwr32BRD4ARIsAAJNf_1WMZX04NtkHqNrVp2q0gk6ouP9Blli0-n_hwqzW0OMw6nTBzmH_eYaAhHLEALw_wcB&d=sem_sidecar&d=sem_sidecar&d=sem_ggl_{campaign_id}_&popup=false&popup=false&ac=1&country_code=USA&sc_intid=20371375&scid=scplp20371375

[@mrfudd13]

This is an altered score, departing from the "70 album. Nice, but not quite what the original is.

[@GNGianopoulos]

Yes, correct, but this is what Frank decided to actually publish as a stand alone piece outside of the album context!

[@mrfudd13]

@@GNGianopoulos 2 things about that: What I meant was the shorter piece on the album has an esthetic advantage, because of Ian Underwood's brilliantly sensitive interpretation. Also I'm still confounded Zappa put the piano piece ahead of what came afterward - it's nothing short of cruel - but Zappa could be crass like that. The record has bleed-over into the piano piece which detracts.

[@fstover5208]

Not bad, really.

[@joex9865]

Sounds like music from an asylum

[@hp67c]

""It's all one nut house, man. A giant asylum in outer space."

[@davidmurabit2684]

Ridicolo.

[@MarcelloDiLorenzo]

Tu.

[@gentle_goy23432]

Из за овец?