Yes, this is Frank Zappa played on baroque instruments. Authenticity to Zappa is no doubt a deal more important than authenticity to the baroque, so no one will object to the (doubly) inauthentic use of a melodica (a sort of end-blown mouth-organ with a keyboard; though Zappa might have preferred its coarser cousin the goofus); in fact, doubling with baroque oboe it can sound rather like a saxophone, and on its own can produce the ‘bent’ notes that were so characteristic of Zappa’s guitar playing. Speaking of guitars and authenticity, the baroque strings use an amount of pizzicato that would have surprised Monteverdi, though both he and Zappa might have regretted the infrequent use of the punchy baroque bassoon.
That’s the danger, of course: that an ensemble of instruments designed for intimate discourse will seem puny when playing music written for powerful, even raucous amplified sounds. Ensemble Ambrosius don’t always avoid this risk: RDNZL played as a dulcimer/mandolin duet does sound rather dinky, but at least as often they reveal how close to ‘early music’ some of Zappa’s tunes were: Sofa, for example, or Inca Roads, where an oriental element is also emphasised. Topi Lehtipuu, billed as ‘lead vocal’ in The Idiot Bastard Son is in fact a tenor, and a rather good one, but that fact and the accompaniment (six bowed or plucked strings, two oboes, dulcimer, organ and archlute) reveal what a grave and haunting tune it is.
Zappa was a strong enough melodist for much of his essence to survive re-scoring, especially when the players are as devoted to him as these evidently are. The recording, quite suitably, owes more to adroit remixing than to an authentic baroque ambience.'