Opening Night - Dance Mix

Armed with an instrumental arsenal including kazoos, slide whistles, a vocoder, drum machines, a virtual big band, and more, Fireworks frolics, waltzes, swings, bounces, rocks, and grinds through of 700 years of party music from around the world. The eclectic first half of the program presents a virtual survey of Western dance music, ranging from the ancient sounds of peasant lutes and viols of the Medieval "Istampita Palamento" to the modern, atmospheric electronics of Aphex Twin's "Analogue Bubblebath," and including just about everything in between. The eclectic set also includes a genteel Classical minuet by Franz Josef Haydn, the boisterous and rowdy "Thunder and Lightning" polka by the 19th-century "Waltz King of Vienna," Johann Strauss, the swing hit "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by big band master Duke Ellington and the luxurious Baroque suite "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" by Jean-Baptiste Lully, court composer to Louis XIV. As no dance music survey would be complete without some good old-fashioned disco, Fireworks ends the first half with the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever classic, "Stayin Alive." Part Two of the program starts in Africa, with a euphoric group composition inspired by traditional drumming from Ghana. The scene shifts to Argentina, home of the legendary tango master Astor Piazzolla, for two of the composer's sultry tango sensations, "Libertango," and "Tres Minutos con la Realidad." Then to India, as Fireworks invokes the seductive sounds of Bollywood, with R. D. Burman's "Tum Kitne din Baad Mile." Next, a brief excursion up north, to the serene and expansive landscape of Norway for a chillingly beautiful suite of traditional folk dances. A gypsy joy-ride follows, with the ecstatic and breathtakingly virtuosic "Turceasca," the raucous signature piece of the Romanian band, Taraf de Haidouks. Finally, the tour makes its way back home, finishing with Aaron Copland's thoroughly American cowboy romp, "Hoe-Down." With an evening of spirited fun for dance music lovers of any age, "Dance Mix" is sure to have you tapping your feet and grooving in your seat, if not dancing in the aisles.

The Finale - Rite of Spring/None of the Above

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring single-handedly made me a believer in classical music. On first hearing the visceral pounding of "The Dances of the Young Girls" (the work's classic second movement) as a young student, I suddenly realized that "classical" music, which I had considered too old-fashioned and uptight to be taken seriously as a contemporary listener, could actually be as powerful and meaningful to me as the rock music I loved. I knew my life was changed forever. This was rock music for orchestra! Since then, I always wanted to bring this music to life in a way that might give someone a similar experience to the one I felt on first hearing the piece. When I founded Fireworks, a group that thrives on bridging the worlds of classical and rock music, I knew that the time had come, and that we had to do The Rite. I immediately set to work arranging the piece for Fireworks' instrumentation. While my deep love and respect of the piece prevented my arrangement from being anything but as true as possible to the notes and spirit of Stravinsky's original score, as an American I had no qualms about freely shaking off the weight of tradition, history, and performance practice and offering a new Rite: not the dusty, hundred-year-old "classical" chestnut of the orchestral circuit, but a living, breathing work that speaks to our current condition as vibrantly as any piece being written today. After years in the service of refined, well-dressed orchestras, the music has been brought back to its Pagan roots. Now a staple of our repertoire, The Rite has proved to be a perfect vehicle to introduce new audiences to the wonders of this classical masterpiece while at the same time presenting a fresh perspective for traditional audiences and those already familiar with the work.

Stravinsky's masterpiece had a similar effect one of America's great musical talents, Frank Zappa. The music of early 20th-century composers, especially Varese, Bartok, and Stravinsky had a profound effect on Zappa, and the influences of these composers can be heard throughout Zappa's music, not only in his extraordinarily complex music for traditional "classical" ensembles, but also in his rock music. Whereas Stravinsky's infusion of folk tunes into his orchestral music helps to give pieces like "The Rite" their visceral, vital flair, Zappa's use of the modernist compositional devices borrowed and adapted from composers such as Stravinsky give his rock pieces a level of sophistication and richness rarely found in popular music. Though primarily known for his rock music, Frank Zappa was a phenomenally gifted composer whose work bridges the worlds of classical and popular music like no other. As a composer of serious "classical" music, Zappa's music stands along side the most challenging and complex of the twentieth century, and has been championed by major classical ensembles and orchestras. As a rock musician, Zappa was a guitar hero and a popular music icon, selling thousands of records and touring throughout the world. For Zappa, it was all just MUSIC, no matter if it was played by an orchestra, a jazz big band, or a rock group. Refusing to limit himself to the conventions of any given genre, Zappa embraced and combined these disparate strands of the sonic universe to create unified musical expressions of incredible depth and originality. Zappa's work presents a vision of music without barriers of style or genre, a model that Fireworks strives to emulate to this day. On a list of musical categories, Zappa's music truly is "None of the Above." Fireworks' presents a collection of some of Zappa's most significant contributions: his challenging and vibrant works for instrumental rock ensemble. Equally daring both in their sophistication and vitality, these highly virtuosic and uniquely American works proved that the rock band could be a powerful vehicle for serious composition. Fireworks is very grateful to the Zappa Family Trust for their continued support and help in bringing this project to fruition.