History Music / FrancescoZappa

* {{Instrumental}}: The whole thing.

* NewSoundAlbum: This was Frank Zappa's first album entirely performed on Synclavier.
* OneMarioLimit: Averted; it turned out there were in fact two composers named Frank Zappa.

''Francesco Zappa'' is a 1984 album by Music/FrankZappa, though he was only the arranger. The music on this album was actually written by his [[NamesTheSame namesake]] Francesco Zappa, an 18th century Baroque-era composer. Not much is known about him, and he basically languished in obscurity until this album happened.

* NamesTheSame: The coincidence that inspired the album. [[invoked]]

* SelfTitledAlbum: ZigZagged. It's named after Francesco Zappa, not Frank Zappa, so it ''is'' named after the album's composer, but not the album's performing artist. Then again, [[NamesTheSame the names are virtually identical anyway]]; does it count as self-titled if you title the album after another person with the same name?

Zappa first heard of Francesco Zappa when his daughter, Moon Unit, had looked up her father's name in an encyclopaedia for classical composers. He wasn't listed, but she did discover this 18th century Italian composer (1717-1803). Upon hearing this, Zappa ordered some scores. It turned out they weren't related to each other in any way, but the similarities that were there were uncanny. Apart from a similar sounding name and the fact that both men were composers, Francesco Zappa was born in Milan, while Frank Zappa's father was of Sicilian descent. Zappa's own music was often neglected by the general public and music critics, so he felt as if they were kindred spirits. TO hammer the point home, he found out that this 18th century composer was virtually forgotten to the point that his music wasn't even published and could only be found in a library of a Mormon Church. Thus Zappa decided to program some of these pieces into his Synclavier synthesizer and release it as an album. He was also delighted to hear that his namesake from two centuries earlier was also a little eccentric compared to most other music from that era:

* NamesTheSame: The coincidence that inspired the album.

* RecycledInSpace: A recording of a 18th century classical composer... played on a Synclavier computer!

* SelfTitledAlbum: ZigZagged. It's named after Francesco Zappa, not Frank Zappa, so it ''is'' named after the album's composer, but not the album's performing artist. Then again, [[NamesTheSame the names are virtually identical anyway]].

* SelfTitledAlbum: Subverted. [[NamesTheSame It's named after Francesco Zappa, not Frank Zappa.]]

'''Tracklist'''

Side 1

Side two

-> ''In every era there are some composers who have hits, and [[NoHitWonder some who don't]]. They are both working at the same time. [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart One of them winds up on a candy]] that you get when you go on an airplane when you come to UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}. The other one: one paragraph on back of a book someplace.''
-> Music/FrankZappa, 1984 interview for Austrian television.

'''Francesco Zappa''' is a 1984 album by Music/FrankZappa, though he was only the arranger. The music on this album was actually written by his [[NamesTheSame namesake]] Francesco Zappa, an 18th century Baroque-era composer. Not much is known about him, and he basically languished in obscurity until this album happened.

'''Francesco Zappa''' is a 1984 album by Music/FrankZappa, though he was only the arranger. The music on this album was actually written by his [[NamesTheSame namesake]] Francesco Zappa, an 18th century composer who lived in the Baroque era. Not much is known about him and he basically faded away in obscurity in the centuries beyond.

Zappa first heard of Francesco Zappa when his daughter Moon Unit had looked up her father's name in an encyclopaedia for classical composers. He wasn't listed, but she did discover this 18th century Italian composer (1717-1803). As she told her father about this Zappa ordered some scores by this composer to be brought to him. It turned out they weren't related to each other in any way, but nevertheless the similarities were uncanny. Apart from a similar sounding name and the fact that both men were composers Francesco Zappa was born in Milan, while Frank Zappa's father was of Sicilian ancestry. As Zappa's own music was often neglected by the general public and music critics he felt as if they were kindred spirits, especially after he found out that this 18th century composer was virtually forgotten to the point that his music wasn't even published and could only be found in a library of a Mormon Church. Thus Zappa decided to program some of these pieces into his Synclavier synthesizer and release it as an album. He was also delighted to hear that his namesake from two centuries earlier was also a little eccentric compared to most other music from that era:

Still, at the time and even today, many people think that ''Francesco Zappa'' is merely an artists' pseudonym put on by Music/FrankZappa to give him an excuse to spoof 18th century baroque music. Listeners who ''do'' know it's all by an actual 18th century composer usually overlook the album in Zappa's immense discography because it's more a CoverAlbum with Zappa's only input being the Synclavier arrangements. Still, it all sounds pleasant and quite interesting to hear, if only for the novelty factor. Historically the album is also important, because it was Frank Zappa's first album completely recorded with the aid of the Synclavier. He used the instrument before on ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984), but only in a few pieces.

* AnachronismStew: The dog in 16th century clothing on the album cover is wearing CoolShades.
* BaroqueMusic: All music dates from this time period and genre.
* ClassicalMusic: All works are classical music, but played on a Synclavier computer.

* ContinuityNod: The dog with sunglasses in 16th century outfit also appears on the covers of ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' and ''Music/ThemOrUs'' (also from 1984). It also ties in with dog imagery in Zappa's music.

* CoversAlwaysLie: Many Zappa fans have bought this album under the impression that it has music by Frank Zappa, while he only arranged the music.
* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover by Donald Roller Wilson.
* {{Dogfaces}}: The dog on the album cover.
* FamousAncestor: Many people still question whether Francesco Zappa might have been an ancestor of Frank Zappa. Despite Zappa denying it in the liner notes he still plays up to the idea. [[note]] By the way: if it had been true than it would've been a subversion of this trope, because Frank Zappa is far more famous than Francesco Zappa ever was. [[/note]]
* [[AlbumFiller Filler Album]]: Seeing that this album doesn't contain any actual work by Frank Zappa and was merely recorded by putting scores of a forgotten 18th century composer in a Synclavier computer some fans have perceived this album as just a throwaway work.
* {{Instrumental}}: All music is instrumental.

* NewSoundAlbum: This was Frank Zappa's first album entirely performed on Synclavier ''and'' his first consisting of nothing but cover material.
* NonAppearingTitle: The album doesn't appear in the track titles.
* PackagedAsOtherMedium: The cover looks like a baroque painting.
* PopCulturalOsmosis: Francesco Zappa is still an obscure name in classical music, but in Zappa fandom he is more associated with this album than anything else. As Zappa himself explains in the liner notes:
--> ''Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries mankind continued to develop new uses for [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], so there was less need for a composer like poor Francesco. Gradually his music found its own level in dusty libraries, indexed in large dusty catalogues devoted to dusty dinner music. A listing in an encyclopedia here, a music dictionary there, that was all the [[HeroWithBadPublicity PR]] Francesco Zappa got for many centuries.''

* RefrainFromAssuming: The music wasn't composed by Frank Zappa, merely arranged on his Synclavier computer.
* RockMeAmadeus: Music by the {{Baroque Music}} composer Francesco Zappa played on a Synclavier computer.
* SelfTitledAlbum: Named after the composer who wrote the music.
* {{Synthpop}}: Everything is performed on a Synclavier computer.
* TimeMarchesOn: In the liner notes Zappa mentions that nobody knows the birth or death date of Francesco Zappa. Historical research has discovered these dates by now.

Zappa first heard of Francesco Zappa when his daughter Moon Unit had looked up her father's name in an encyclopaedia for classical composers. He wasn't listed, but she did discover this 18th century Italian composer (1717-1803). As she told her father about this Zappa ordered some scores by this composer to be brought to him. It turned out they weren't related to each other in any way, but nevertheless the similarities were uncanning. Apart from a similar sounding name and the fact that both men were composers Francesco Zappa was born in Milan, while Frank Zappa's father was of Sicilian ancestry. As Zappa's own music was often neglected by the general public and music critics he felt as if they were kindred spirits, especially after he found out that this 18th century composer was virtually forgotten to the point that his music wasn't even published and could only be found in a library of a Mormon Church. Thus Zappa decided to program some of these pieces into his Synclavier synthesizer and release it as an album. He was also delighted to hear that his namesake from two centuries earlier was also a little eccentric compared to most other music from that era:

----

* ContinuityNod: The dog with sunglasses in 16th century outfit appeared earlier on the cover of ''Music/ThePerfectStranger''. It also ties in with dog imagery in Zappa's music.

* RefrainFromAssuming: The music wasn't composed by Frank Zappa, merely arranged on his Synclavier computer.

Zappa first heard of Francesco Zappa when his daughter Moon Unit had looked up her father's name in an encyclopaedia for classical composers. He wasn't listed, but she did discover this 18th century Italian composer (1717-1803). As she told her father about this Zappa ordered some scores by this composer to be brought to him. It turned out they weren't related to each other in any way, but nevertheless the similarities were uncanning. Apart from a similar sounding name and the fact that both men were composers Francesco Zappa was born in Milan, while Frank Zappa's father was from Sicilian ancestry. As Zappa's own music was often neglected by the general public and music critics he felt as if they were kindred spirits, especially after he found out that this 18th century composer was virtually forgotten to the point that his music wasn't even published and could only be found in a library of a Mormon Church. Thus Zappa decided to program some of these pieces into his Synclavier synthesizer and release it as an album. He was also delighted to hear that his namesake from two centuries earlier was also a little eccentric compared to most other music from that era:

Still, at the time and even today, many people think that ''Francesco Zappa'' is merely an artists' pseudonym put on by Music/FrankZappa to give him an excuse to spoof 18th century baroque music. Listeners who ''do'' know that all the music here is in fact by an actual 18th century composer usually overlook the album in Zappa's immense discography because it's more a CoverAlbum with Zappa's only input being the Synclavier arrangements. Still, it all sounds pleasant and quite interesting to hear, if only for the novelty factor. Historically the album is also important, because it was Frank Zappa's first album completely recorded with the aid of the Synclavier. He used the instrument before on ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'' (1984), but only in a few pieces.

# "Opus I: No. 1 First Movement: Andante" (3:32)
# "Opus I: No. 1 2nd Movement: Allegro con brio" (1:27)
# "Opus I: No. 2 1st Movement: Andantino" (2:14)
# "Opus I: No. 2 2nd Movement: Minuetto grazioso" (2:04)
# "Opus I: No. 3 1st Movement: Andantino" (1:52)
# "Opus I: No. 3 2nd Movement: Presto" (1:50)
# "Opus I: No. 4 1st Movement: Andante" (2:20)
# "Opus I: No. 4 2nd Movement: Allegro" (3:04)

# "Opus I: No. 5 2nd Movement: Minuetto grazioso" (2:29)
# "Opus I: No. 6 1st Movement: Largo" (2:08)
# "Opus I: No. 6 2nd Movement: Minuet" (2:03)
# "Opus IV: No. 1 1st Movement: Andantino" (2:47)
# "Opus IV: No. 1 2nd Movement: Allegro assai" (2:02)
# "Opus IV: No. 2 2nd Movement: Allegro assai" (1:20)
# "Opus IV: No. 3 1st Movement: Andante" (2:24)
# "Opus IV: No. 3 2nd Movement: Tempo di minuetto" (2:00)
# "Opus IV: No. 4 1st Movement: Minuetto" (2:10)