Interesting arrangement of these Zappa classics. Good job! Back in my "secular days" I was known by my nick name of Birdlegs and I met him somewhere about 1972 or 73 at a club where my band was performing in Atlanta Ga. We finished our set and went back to the dressing room when much to my surprise he walked in, introduced himself as if that was needed and we proceeded to talk for the better part of an hour. In late 1974, Tom Fowler, his bassist at the time, broke his finger in the middle of that tour and I was called to fill in while Tom's finger healed. We recorded at Caribou Ranch studio near Nederland Colorado during that time and several of those tracks were put on later albums of his. What an honor to have had that experience with one of the great composers of our time!
How can we spread Frank's music? Zappa is a National Treasure. The above performance is a loving tribute and look how everyone is totally immersed! Tears to my eyes y'all.
45 years of listening to all things Zappa and I'm still impressed by what people can do with music. These musicians are a pleasure to watch and listen to. Every one of them is a credit to themselves, the college and Frank. Thank you, all of you, for this.
I’m absolutely blown away by this performance. Ladies and gentlemen of the Berklee orchestra, a beautifully executed undertaking like this gives a senior citizen like me hope for the future of music. I had goosebumps all the way through. Thank you for making my day!
Wow, I am smiling from ear to ear. Came aross this by accident and was really impressed. Its GREAT to see students playing music from the Master Frank Zappa. Great playing and Kudos to the arranger who put this piece together. Impressed!!! Keep his music ALIVE!!!
This fills me with joy. Zappa is virtually nonexistent within the mainstream culture, but he will always be discovered by and beloved by those with an open mind and passion for musical composition.
Full marks to Riccardo Niar Belletti for the incredible arrangement, and to the whole ensemble for their fantastic execution. This sure ain't no slime on the video!
Okay as a Zappa fan since the 70s and having heard just about all of his material these guys are excellent!! If anyone knows how really complex and intricate Zappa's music was, you can really appreciate how great these musicians are right here!!!
My fellow musicians. This is wonderful to see happening in a music college. You are playing one of the 20th century's greatest composer who is AMERICAN! Bravo. The arrangement is glorious. The musicianship skills here are of the highest callibre and definitely needed to be able to play Frank's work. 20 out of 10 for this. Well done fellas. All of you. I wish I could have done this in my music college when I was 19, in 1974. That's centuries ago. Well done to you. Dave in Yorkshire, England
Crazy to think that a lot of these musicians weren’t even born when Zappa died and here they are flawlessly performing his work. Frank would have LOVED it.
Fuck, yeah! The arrangement is stunning. The musicality is superb. The singers voice is sweet liquor. And the scat was the cherry on top. I’ve never heard anything better. Bravo.
From the first "Mother's of Invention" to Berklee Performance Majors to a composer that will be studied for centuries ... One incredible ride Mr. Zappa! Thank you. And didn't the kids serve him up well 🙌
I was fortunate enough to have seen Frank Zappa eight times. It's wonderful to see these young folks keeping his music alive. Thank you ! "The present day composer refuses to die" --Edgar Varèse
My dad has been put in a home, war in the middle east, suffering, genocide and a great journalist named Assange in jail for publishing the truth. Life is depressing and then you kids do the perfect arrangement of the genius of Zappa. Thank you so much for your love of music and that amazing energy. Thank you from London. MUSIC IS THE BEST xxx
Zappa was genius. This performance by all these talented folks was genius in collective performance. One of the best I have seen in a long time. Berklee should be very proud.
I've been a Zappa fan for the best part of 50 years. This reduced me to tears. Young people playing his music so well, most of them children when he died - absolutely marvelous. I always said Zappa would be considered a classical musician at some point - he's now had a slot at the London Proms, several serious orchestras have covered his music, and rightly so.
As a 50 year fan of FZ, this video completely blew me away. Truly an astounding performance by these amazing young people, incredible arrangement, and FINALLY with a video and audio production quality worthy of the great Berklee College of Music!
I bet Dweezel would be proud that the Berklee School of Music chose to honor Frank like this. For a large orchestra this is very well written, particularly the transition from Inca Roads to Peaches en Regalia. A lot of work went into this. I hope someone got a A.
Riccardo Niar Belletti is obviously very talented. These tunes are challenging to transcribe, let alone arrange for such a large group of players. Hats off to you, and to the very capable musicians.
I'm glad I'm alone so no one can see me blubbering like a baby. Superb. I hope you all enjoyed learning and performing them. And props to the sound guys too.
Fantastic! Zappa was one of the best composers/ musicians the world has EVER produced. To see such young varsity musicians joyfully reproducing his music brought a tear to my eye.
Frank the Music Maniac, dictator, creator, distractor, tyrant in his own mind your seeds are all over the world inspiring over and over. Virtual hugs to all from a Frank Zappa addict.
What an utterly uplifting experience watching this. So happy that FZ’s astonishing compositions are still being treated with such love by such amazing young musicians. Totally made my day!
This is what I went to Berklee to learn how to do. I remember they got us all to sing the Solfege for "Mack the Knife" which was profoundly uninspiring. 30 years later, I'm thrilled to see an ensemble *killing* it! Two amazing vocalists (one channeling Napoleon Murph Brock, the other singing impossible harmony perfectly), incredible flute, lead guitar playing the Steve Vai solo from Zappa Plays Zappa. Arrangement couldn't be better. Musicianship of entire ensemble is extremely high. I shed several tears and have watched twice so far.
Twenty-five+ years after Zappa's death, it's amazing to hear his music being done such justice, and by such talented young people. I wish the composer himself could have witnessed this.
Much more tasteful than that Ahmet production " bizarre world of Frank"......Frank would be proud! Why can't I just keep hitting the like button until my finger falls off!
Inca Roads is one of my favorite Zappa songs. Especially the vocal part formerly sung by George Duke. You guys did a great job. What got me the most though were the lead and backing vocalists while performing Inca Roads. I had to listen to that part about a million times.
I lived long enough to have seen this live at UMBC in 74 and now see this. Cool. Respect and love is a great way to do things. Love to you all, and big respect. Dang, it's catching. Keep it up. All our love, will it save the world?
Wow Frank would love it. Hearing his music living and breathing, becoming its own entity. His music will be played for hundreds of years with twists and turns of interpretation. The musicianship and arrangements on the performance are astounding. As to the question about the Zappa family taking it down. Surely not, that sort of legal clowning would go against everything he believed in. Sure Frank, quite rightly protected himself against sharks and users when he was alive. But now he is dead he would want his music to be performed and enjoyed as widely and freely as possible.
Holy shit that gave me goosebumps 100% all through the video. What an amazing arrangement, execution, production. And it was even uploaded on my birthday!! This is as close to perfection as it gets.
I absolutely love that Zappa’s music is still played and celebrated. If for no other reason than it promotes free thought, creative thinking and humour without judgement.
Nice Zappa tribute, Berklee, I'm impressed! And I like the playing style of the blonde guitar player, never seen anybody using the tapping technique this way
What a wonderful showcase for Frank Zappa’s skill as a composer combining with the obvious talents of the Berklee Students. A great advertisement for the college itself too. The long list of credits preceding this video shows the scale of this superb multinational team effort. If Frank was still with us today and money was no object then I’m sure he would have loved to perform and record with these youngsters. This is how much Zappa’s music deserves to be heard - performed by an enthusiastic group of talented individuals on an orchestral scale. Hearing these quirky and wonderfully original melodies combined with unusual rhythms had me hooked as a Zappa fan back in the 1960’s. It can sometimes feel a lonely and solitary experience being a fan of Zappa’s music. So to see these students get so much pleasure out of playing music so different and demanding was indeed heartening. Like quite a few others I found that singer Regina Crisosto Jequier’s emphatic ‘punch’ to the audience on the ultimate note of Zomby Woof followed by Zappa’s ‘Music is the Best’ verse triggered the tears. Zappa fans - It’s great to know We are not alone.
This is next-level good. Just incredibly well done, from the arrangement, to the performances to the production quality. I’m actually gobsmacked, this is legitimately one of the best performances of Frank’s music I’ve ever experienced. Exemplary.
Thank you for this brilliant performance and tribute to the Maestro. It warms my heart to see that Frank's music is being recognized as neoclassical music and is being performed by new generations of extraordinary musicians, bravo...
Interesting arrangement of these Zappa classics. Good job! Back in my "secular days" I was known by my nick name of Birdlegs and I met him somewhere about 1972 or 73 at a club where my band was performing in Atlanta Ga. We finished our set and went back to the dressing room when much to my surprise he walked in, introduced himself as if that was needed and we proceeded to talk for the better part of an hour. In late 1974, Tom Fowler, his bassist at the time, broke his finger in the middle of that tour and I was called to fill in while Tom's finger healed. We recorded at Caribou Ranch studio near Nederland Colorado during that time and several of those tracks were put on later albums of his. What an honor to have had that experience with one of the great composers of our time!
I'm a life long, die hard Zappa addict. This had me crying it was so good.I'm taken back. That was incredible.
Frank would be overwhelmed to see so many young musicians who were not even born playing his music with such professionalism,well done guys
How can we spread Frank's music? Zappa is a National Treasure. The above performance is a loving tribute and look how everyone is totally immersed! Tears to my eyes y'all.
Every single note of that was extraordinary and Frank Zappa would have been thoroughly impressed.
63 years old now and I’ve loved Zappa since I was 15..to see the young ones doing such brilliant work with his music...tears came ..thank you.
Oh, my god, the transition from Inca Roads to Peaches in Regalia was _masterful._
dang, great job guys
Adam Neely bass
SO many smiles and happy musicians. You can tell they really enjoyed this set.
It's not just the musicianship, which is fabulous, it's the obvious glee of the players - encore!!!
Zappa’s music is not dead, it just smells funny.
This actually made me tear up with joy. I saw Zappa when I was nine years old and was raised on his music. The Kids Are Alright.
If by Alright you mean, absolutely Killing it, then, yes, I agree!
Frank Zappa is one of the best composers of all times and the best composer that United States ever had.
45 years of listening to all things Zappa and I'm still impressed by what people can do with music. These musicians are a pleasure to watch and listen to. Every one of them is a credit to themselves, the college and Frank. Thank you, all of you, for this.
You talented kids just brought a tear to the eye of this old Zappa fan.
I’m absolutely blown away by this performance. Ladies and gentlemen of the Berklee orchestra, a beautifully executed undertaking like this gives a senior citizen like me hope for the future of music. I had goosebumps all the way through. Thank you for making my day!
Very good! Nice to see young people playing Zappa's music.
I have no words, this was AWESOME.
Indeed!!!
Wow, I am smiling from ear to ear. Came aross this by accident and was really impressed. Its GREAT to see students playing music from the Master Frank Zappa. Great playing and Kudos to the arranger who put this piece together. Impressed!!! Keep his music ALIVE!!!
This fills me with joy. Zappa is virtually nonexistent within the mainstream culture, but he will always be discovered by and beloved by those with an open mind and passion for musical composition.
Full marks to Riccardo Niar Belletti for the incredible arrangement, and to the whole ensemble for their fantastic execution. This sure ain't no slime on the video!
I stumbled upon this.completely blew my mind.I bet Frank would love it.Outstanding!!!!!!!
25 seconds in and I'm wiping away tears. Fantastic performance.
Okay as a Zappa fan since the 70s and having heard just about all of his material these guys are excellent!! If anyone knows how really complex and intricate Zappa's music was, you can really appreciate how great these musicians are right here!!!
My fellow musicians. This is wonderful to see happening in a music college. You are playing one of the 20th century's greatest composer who is AMERICAN! Bravo. The arrangement is glorious. The musicianship skills here are of the highest callibre and definitely needed to be able to play Frank's work. 20 out of 10 for this. Well done fellas. All of you. I wish I could have done this in my music college when I was 19, in 1974. That's centuries ago. Well done to you. Dave in Yorkshire, England
huge fan of Frank for 40 years and i am standing at my computer giving you a standing ovation! Bravo!
By far and away the best Zappa tribute orchestra. Impeccable arrangement and recording too.
Crazy to think that a lot of these musicians weren’t even born when Zappa died and here they are flawlessly performing his work. Frank would have LOVED it.
Well done. Full of soul and great playing. Most important you made it your own.❤
Fuck, yeah! The arrangement is stunning. The musicality is superb. The singers voice is sweet liquor. And the scat was the cherry on top.
I’ve never heard anything better.
Bravo.
From the first "Mother's of Invention" to Berklee Performance Majors to a composer that will be studied for centuries ... One incredible ride Mr. Zappa! Thank you.
And didn't the kids serve him up well 🙌
I was fortunate enough to have seen Frank Zappa eight times. It's wonderful to see these young folks keeping his music alive. Thank you !
"The present day composer refuses to die" --Edgar Varèse
Absolutely stunning musicianship from all involved - breathtaking!
My dad has been put in a home, war in the middle east, suffering, genocide and a great journalist named Assange in jail for publishing the truth. Life is depressing and then you kids do the perfect arrangement of the genius of Zappa. Thank you so much for your love of music and that amazing energy. Thank you from London. MUSIC IS THE BEST xxx
Outstanding performance! Greetings from sunny Greece to all Zappa fans!
Fabulous! The Future of Music is assured...
Some crazy talent right there. That's what Frank Zappa music always did. To get out the best of his musicians. Fantastic job!
Love it every time I see it again and again and ......
zappa would be proud, its is refreshing to see young musicians on that patch... the world need so much this kind of genuine inventive music.
Zappa was genius. This performance by all these talented folks was genius in collective performance. One of the best I have seen in a long time. Berklee should be very proud.
INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!!! AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!! No words ........................................... ZAPPA ......... Music is the best !!!!!!!
I've been a Zappa fan for the best part of 50 years. This reduced me to tears. Young people playing his music so well, most of them children when he died - absolutely marvelous. I always said Zappa would be considered a classical musician at some point - he's now had a slot at the London Proms, several serious orchestras have covered his music, and rightly so.
Excellent! Long live Frank Zappa's music and those tha play it this well! Bravo!
Don't know what to say. Tears in my eyes. Thank you all...
Best tribute !!!
As a 50 year fan of FZ, this video completely blew me away. Truly an astounding performance by these amazing young people, incredible arrangement, and FINALLY with a video and audio production quality worthy of the great Berklee College of Music!
I bet Dweezel would be proud that the Berklee School of Music chose to honor Frank like this. For a large orchestra this is very well written, particularly the transition from Inca Roads to Peaches en Regalia. A lot of work went into this. I hope someone got a A.
Great googly moogly! Say what? Take a bow, everybody involved in this, because this is absolutely outstanding and nothing short of brilliant. Wow!
It has been said that Zappa’s music will be rediscovered in the future that he will be the next Beethoven
Thank you for restoring my faith in young musicians. Don't ever change!
Thank you for keeping his compositions alive, wonderful. GEORGE DUKE!
Zappa is still a legend !
All these countries converging around a few Zappa tunes. Doesn't get any better. Great job everyone. Hope to see everyone in Texas.
Riccardo Niar Belletti is obviously very talented. These tunes are challenging to transcribe, let alone arrange for such a large group of players. Hats off to you, and to the very capable musicians.
R.I.P. Frank,
thanx for so much great inventive input . Genius.
Literally brought treats to my eyes. The spirit of FZ is alive and well.
I'm glad I'm alone so no one can see me blubbering like a baby. Superb. I hope you all enjoyed learning and performing them. And props to the sound guys too.
Hope the Zappa family doesn’t try to take this down. 😅
tippi that’s literally the first thought that came into my mind haha
Frank would have loved that . The music .
bbbbwwwwwhahahahaha!!!!
My god, that was brilliant. Nearly brought tears.
EVERY Zappa Fan needs to watch this this deserves 100.000 views
61 people just dont get it...
That was absolutely fantastic!!!
Frank would be beside himself as the conductor he was...flawless execution!
Excellent. With performances like this spreading the word, Zappa compositions will still be performed 100 years from now. The new classical music.
Beautiful performance. Frank would be proud
Fantastic! Zappa was one of the best composers/ musicians the world has EVER produced. To see such young varsity musicians joyfully reproducing his music brought a tear to my eye.
Frank the Music Maniac, dictator, creator, distractor, tyrant in his own mind your seeds are all over the world inspiring over and over. Virtual hugs to all from a Frank Zappa addict.
What an utterly uplifting experience watching this. So happy that FZ’s astonishing compositions are still being treated with such love by such amazing young musicians. Totally made my day!
This is what I went to Berklee to learn how to do. I remember they got us all to sing the Solfege for "Mack the Knife" which was profoundly uninspiring. 30 years later, I'm thrilled to see an ensemble *killing* it! Two amazing vocalists (one channeling Napoleon Murph Brock, the other singing impossible harmony perfectly), incredible flute, lead guitar playing the Steve Vai solo from Zappa Plays Zappa. Arrangement couldn't be better. Musicianship of entire ensemble is extremely high. I shed several tears and have watched twice so far.
Twenty-five+ years after Zappa's death, it's amazing to hear his music being done such justice, and by such talented young people. I wish the composer himself could have witnessed this.
I'm a Zappa fan from way back. This was absolutely wonderful!
So Goood! Moooore! Uncle Meat, Night School, Black Page, Little Umbrellas...stuff like that...whoevers doing the arranging...very nice touches.
So many looks happy to perform Frank's music. I am happy for you
I love that these kids are from all over the world communicating in music... the universal language.
zappa with a twist.........Awesome.....Very cool......!!!
Sonido perfecto! Muy bien las partituras, estos niños son el futuro..!
Holy Moses! Thumbs up from a 50+ years Zappa fan here. Great work guys - Wow! Love your jazzy medley....
Now kids this is what we old freaks called music back in the day.
Living it! Frank would be proud.
My God i got these great goosebums feelings during the Peaches en Regalia section. Dweezil Zappa should watch this and hire some of the musicians
Been into zappa since I was a Teenager, will always love his music, I THINK THEY DID ZAPPA JUSTICE..THANKS. 🇮🇲👍🇮🇲
Much more tasteful than that Ahmet production " bizarre world of Frank"......Frank would be proud!
Why can't I just keep hitting the like button until my finger falls off!
Handmade Musik!!! Die Genialität FZ's schlägt durch!!! Super!!!
Inca Roads is one of my favorite Zappa songs. Especially the vocal part formerly sung by George Duke. You guys did a great job. What got me the most though were the lead and backing vocalists while performing Inca Roads. I had to listen to that part about a million times.
My goodness the talent that comes out of this school!!!
Well played kids!!! Frank is one of my favorite composers!!!
I lived long enough to have seen this live at UMBC in 74 and now see this. Cool. Respect and love is a great way to do things. Love to you all, and big respect. Dang, it's catching. Keep it up. All our love, will it save the world?
God damn, these musicians and singers knew the mission and completed it with total grace and passion.
Great arrangement. Loved it from a 49 year Zappa listener.
The best 6 minutes of music on the planet.
Wow Frank would love it. Hearing his music living and breathing, becoming its own entity. His music will be played for hundreds of years with twists and turns of interpretation.
The musicianship and arrangements on the performance are astounding.
As to the question about the Zappa family taking it down. Surely not, that sort of legal clowning would go against everything he believed in. Sure Frank, quite rightly protected himself against sharks and users when he was alive. But now he is dead he would want his music to be performed and enjoyed as widely and freely as possible.
It's unbelievable the fact that Zappa created all this outstanding music in their head.
Great music by a genius, Zappa! Glad to see his music surviving.
Chills when the violins came in during Waka Jawaka. Great job.
Holy shit that gave me goosebumps 100% all through the video. What an amazing arrangement, execution, production. And it was even uploaded on my birthday!! This is as close to perfection as it gets.
Amazing,, Zappa has been my favorite since 1978, respect for him and the music 🎸
What is this wet substance coming from my eyes? Incredible!!!!!
I absolutely love that Zappa’s music is still played and celebrated. If for no other reason than it promotes free thought, creative thinking and humour without judgement.
Nice Zappa tribute, Berklee, I'm impressed! And I like the playing style of the blonde guitar player, never seen anybody using the tapping technique this way
What a wonderful showcase for Frank Zappa’s skill as a composer combining with the obvious talents of the Berklee Students. A great advertisement for the college itself too.
The long list of credits preceding this video shows the scale of this superb multinational team effort.
If Frank was still with us today and money was no object then I’m sure he would have loved to perform and record with these youngsters. This is how much Zappa’s music deserves to be heard - performed by an enthusiastic group of talented individuals on an orchestral scale. Hearing these quirky and wonderfully original melodies combined with unusual rhythms had me hooked as a Zappa fan back in the 1960’s.
It can sometimes feel a lonely and solitary experience being a fan of Zappa’s music. So to see these students get so much pleasure out of playing music so different and demanding was indeed heartening.
Like quite a few others I found that singer Regina Crisosto Jequier’s emphatic ‘punch’ to the audience on the ultimate note of Zomby Woof followed by Zappa’s ‘Music is the Best’ verse triggered the tears. Zappa fans - It’s great to know We are not alone.
This is next-level good. Just incredibly well done, from the arrangement, to the performances to the production quality. I’m actually gobsmacked, this is legitimately one of the best performances of Frank’s music I’ve ever experienced. Exemplary.
Enormous amount of talent in that room. Incredible performance of very difficult material.
Thank you for this brilliant performance and tribute to the Maestro. It warms my heart to see that Frank's music is being recognized as neoclassical music and is being performed by new generations of extraordinary musicians, bravo...
Absolutely love this