Matteo Varano - Warner/Chappell Songwriter - Clifton, NJ

Matteo performing at The Stone Pony in NJ

Today’s post comes from my former Music Business student Matteo Varano who is now a music educator who recently signed an exclusive worldwide co-publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. He’s also from my hometown, so clearly I’m very proud of him! Here’s what he has to say about the new album:

Chamber Music From Hell

When Chris Opperman opens up his Purple Cow musical cookbook, he chops up a little bit of Webern, sautés it with some Stockhausen, seasons it with a bit of Brecker Brothers, throws in a pinch of Hans Zimmer and pours on some of Frank Zappa’s Famous Hot Rat Sauce. The musical stir-fry that is Chamber Music from Hell arises from his dangerous kitchen. This musical entrée is mouthwatering and flavorful!

Chamber Music From Hell is a true concept album. It was inspired by Frank Zappa’s studio album Jazz from Hell which was released in 1986. Opperman explores what the musical world of Hell would sound like. I’ll tell you – he’s spot on. On the album cover, we are introduced to a bombastic inferno dominated by automated, orchestral instrument transformer robots! The second hint of Hell is the album’s runtime. Upon uploading the CD onto my computer for playback (yes, I know I’m old), I was greeted by a blinking one hour and six minutes on my screen. Sixty-six (66) minutes. Add another six and this would be on He Who Shall Not Be Named’s (not Voldemort) “Made For You” playlist on Spotify.

Here are a few highlights from my electrifying, and at times soothing, tour through Opperman’s musical underworld: 

I was thrust into this enigmatic world of music by the album’s opening track “Where Is Everybody?” a musique concrète introduction reminiscent of a Karlheinz Stockhausen or Edgard Varèse composition. Opperman uses these mysterious interludes with eerie sounds and manipulated voices as the seamless transitions between the different attractions on our journey. It creates a feeling that reminds us that someone could always be watching us from below the surface of the earth.

Moving high above the earth and to the sky, “Owl Flight,” in my opinion, is a true piece of program music. Through the many different cymbal timbres, Opperman evokes the nocturnal bird’s flight and never-ending hunt for food and survival. The progression of the piece paints the picture of an owl scouting, strategizing, and executing its plan, further proof that, in this world, it’s every living thing for itself.

Living things aside, if a robot ate a trombone and attempted to speak, “Echoes of a Dark, Still Night” would be the result. The explosive performance of Jason Camelio evokes a 1980s Space Age, Sci-Fi feel, hinting influences of Michael Brecker and his use of the electronic wind instrument. This piece is haunting and emotional, reminding me of Brecker’s solo interpretation of “Song for Barry.”

“Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?” is the climax of the album. Mike Keneally’s electric guitar effortlessly improvises over Opperman’s constantly shifting meters, finding inner peace and a Zen-like musical flow in an ever-changing musician’s world of musical hell. Keneally’s virtuosic melodic improvisation is chilling and proves that constant fast, shredding guitar licks are not necessary for an emotional, heartfelt and gut-wrenching performance.

After this electric performance in a futuristic dream, we begin “Waking Up” to a sea bed of calm sounds. An angelic-sounding orchestra and choir reminds us that there is always a glimmer of hope and light even in darkness. This soothing film-score intermezzo is something that Hans Zimmer would be proud of. “Waking Up” was beautifully orchestrated, mixed and produced by Kurt Morgan. Morgan’s stellar musicianship, tasteful mixing and refined and consistent production style aided in presenting Opperman’s music with full transparency to the listeners.

The final piece of the album, The Cribbage Variations, is a phenomenal piece of twelve-tone classical chamber music with a forward momentum groove. To me, the two standout movements, “Knock Knock Bach” and “The Show,” demonstrate Opperman’s genius and his willingness to take risks into uncharted musical territory. This piece has cemented Opperman in music history and he should be recognized for advancing the genre the most since Schoenberg himself.

In “Knock Knock Bach,” Opperman merges the art of the fugue (popularized by J.S. Bach) with the tone rows of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern. Multiple voice interplay creates an intriguing musical dialogue between all instruments of the fugue. Both genres contain two very difficult sets of rules that must be strictly adhered to when composing. However, they have been harmoniously fused by Opperman to create a unique musical result.

“The Show” is unique to twelve-tone music, as it ventures into completely new musical territory. Through mathematical logic and reasoning, Opperman exhausted atonality and was able to create a matrix that follows all the rules laid out by Schoenberg, but results in a tonal piece. At 1:38 in the piece, I argue that this simple Db major triad will resonate in music history as much as Wagner’s Tristan chord. Rather than staying in Db major he quickly modulates to F minor and eventually circles back to the matrix. No composer has done this successfully and Opperman is a true pioneer in merging atonal and tonal music. The eerie but hopeful C minor 7 add 9/11 chord is a stark reminder that we can still have time to change the path of our world and keep it from diving it into deeper despair.

In an era where it’s all about producing the hit single, it is refreshing to listen to a coherent album with beautiful musical flow and liner notes to enhance the listening experience.    

Chamber Music from Hell is a true reflection of the disorienting and chaotic modern era we live in, and a challenging time in world history. Opperman invites the listener to question the world we live in today, asking if parts of it are Hell and conjure up ways take ourselves out of that Hell. If Frank Zappa were to release an album today, it would be Chamber Music from Hell. Oppy, Frank would be very proud. Bravo to all involved in the project!