Ensemble Intercontemporain

L'Ensemble Intercontemporain provided the instruments for The Perfect Stranger, conducted by Pierre Boulez. FZ met Boulez after sending him some orchestral scores, hoping that he would be interested in conducting them. According to Zappa: "I bought my first Boulez album when I was in the twelfth grade". Needless to say, Boulez eventually agreed to the project. At the time of the recording, the ensemble consisted of:

Lawrence Beauregard, Sophie Cherrier: flutes

Lazlo Hadady, Didier Pateau: oboes

Alain Damiens, Paul Meyer: clarinets

Guy Arnaud: bass clarinet

Jean-Marie Lamothe: bassoon

Jacques Deleplanque, Jens McManama: horns

Antoine Cure, Jean-Jacques Gaudon: trumpets

Jerome Naulais, Benny Sluchin: trombones

Gerard Buquet: tuba

Vincent Bauer, Michel Cerutti, Daniel Ciampolini: percussion

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Alain Neveux: pianos

Marie-Claire Linale, Jacques Ghestem, Maryvonne le Dizes: violins

Garth Knox, Jean Sulem: violas

Chrichan Larsson, Pierre Strauch: cellos

Frederic Stochl: double bass