Frank Zappa’s ‘200 Motels’ To Be Performed By Orchestra

Billboard is reporting that the orchestral score to Frank Zappa’s cult classic surrealist film, ‘200 Motels’ , will be performed on October 23 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The album was written in various motel rooms while Zappa toured, eventually getting a 1970 premiere at UCLA’s Royce Theater. Portions of the album were later used in the ‘200 Motels’ film.

Zappa’s widow, Gail Zappa, told Billboard that while the original score was intended for a rock band with a full orchestra, it has been re-written to focus more on the orchestral aspects of the music. “Musicians now are very familiar with the composers of their time, which I am glad about,” Zappa told Billboard. “Frank wrote music that challenges your playing ability and I think musicians embrace that.”

Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the October 23 premiere in Los Angeles. After the premiere, the BBC Concert Orchestra will conduct a showing at the Royal Festival Hall on October 29 wth Jurjen Hempel conducting.