# Zappa Cuts and Pastes Edgar Varese

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 18, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709 "2007-04-18T23:58:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709/1 "2007-04-18T23:58:27Z")

</div>

I just purchased and started listening to a CD of Pierre Boulez conducting on some compositions by Varese. I immediately recognized some rather familiar gestures: they’re all over “The Yellow Shark.” Has anybody else noticed this? I am loathe to say that Zappa was totally unoriginal; I think he has contributed some interesting pieces of his own (particularly G-Spot Tornado), but I’m surprised at how certain snips of Varese seem to have been lifted whole.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709/2 "2007-04-19T01:52:07Z")

</div>

Well, Zappa cited Varese by name many times in interviews. The liner notes to one of his early albums had a Varese quote: “The modern composer refuses to die.” This is not a shocking revelation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709/3 "2007-04-19T03:30:47Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Krokodil]  
Well, Zappa cited Varese by name many times in interviews. The liner notes to one of his early albums had a Varese quote: “The modern composer refuses to die.” This is not a shocking revelation.  
[/QUOTE]

Indeed. Zappa also was known to lift phrases from his other classical hero, Stravinsky. Quite deliberate and nothing he was in the least bit shy about - far as I know he considered it the sincerest form of flattery.

- Tamerlane

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zappa-cuts-and-pastes-edgar-varese/400709/4 "2007-04-19T04:06:29Z")

</div>

“Plastic People” established his feelings about the ethical dilemma of sampling; he was okay with it. (“Plastic People” was basically the same tune as “Louie Louie.”)