Voyager 2 Spacecraft - Classical Music

[HaydnFan]

As some of you may know, when Voyager 2 was launched into space in 1977, a record was sent with representative sounds of Earth incase any extra-terrestrial life forms came upon it...

...Naturally, a few of the items on this record are classical pieces. Personally, I am surprised and confused by some of the pieces found on here and I am wondering what the council was thinking when they selected these works:

Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 First Movement

Bach - Partita No. 3 in E-major

Mozart - Die Zauberflote - Queen of the Night's Aria (Der Holle Roche)

Bach - The Well Tempered Clavier - Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C No.1

Stravinsky - Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance

Beethoven - 5th Symphony, First Movement

Beethoven - String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat (no movement specified)

Some of these items, I think, might frighten whoever happened to come upon them. I would have wanted Earth to be portrayed as a beautiful, peaceful place. And why have 3 pieces of Bach? Is that really necessary?

So, the question is then, what do you think of these selections and what might you have chosen to represent Earth?

[HaydnFan]

Mozart - I might have included something from the Le Nozze di Figaro, not Zauberflote...and possibly the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat or the final movement of Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat

Beethoven - for sure, the final movement of Symphony No. 9 and also the first movement of Moonlight Sonata in C#minor or the final movement of Symphony No. 6

Faure - Agnus Dei from his Requiem

Schubert - a song, maybe Die Forelle

Holst - The Planets suite (haha) - Jupiter

...beyond this, I don't know if I am qualified to make any more selections

[This message has been edited by HaydnFan (edited 09-17-2006).]

[robert newman]

I would put a few tough ones and some easy ones.

Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
Bach - B Minor Mass
Beethoven - Quartet Op.127

emm

Ravel - Orchestral Suite 'Ma Mere L'Oye'
Elgar - Symphony No. 1
Bruckner - Symphony No. 8

Selections from Liberace, Glenn Miller, Manhattan Transfer and, em, Shostakovitch Jazz Suite.

[Rod]

Originally posted by robert newman:

I would put a few tough ones and some easy ones.

Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
Bach - B Minor Mass
Beethoven - Quartet Op.127

emm

Ravel - Orchestral Suite 'Ma Mere L'Oye'
Elgar - Symphony No. 1
Bruckner - Symphony No. 8

Selections from Liberace, Glenn Miller, Manhattan Transfer and, em, Shostakovitch Jazz Suite.

Stravinsky!!?? Do you want to start an intergalactic war Robert?

Let's not beat around the bush, I'd say be generous and provide the complete works of Beethoven and Handel. With the right compression you could fit all this on just 3 DVDs.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Frankli]

Everyone who has seen "Mars Attacks", knows that we should not give our position in the universe away to the Aliens.
For the same reason we should not send them music like Holst's "The Planets", or "The Moonlight Sonata", but just give them Donald Duck movies so as to fool them concerning our true identity.

Having said this, there is no composer who has better illustrated the mysterious vastness of the universe than Beethoven. He does so in the last movement of the Ninth. The choir sings about searching for God behind the stars, higher and higher, and we actually hear, at the end of these 90 seconds, those twinkling stars far away, with their softly pulsating lights.
I find it one of the most brilliant parts in this symphony.
You can hear it:
http://www.frank.dds.nl/Etc/Sternenzelt.mp3

[sjwenger]

There was a discussion one time about what message to send into space, and biologist Lewis Thomas (author of "Life of a Cell") famously said:

"I would vote for Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space. But that would be bragging, of course."

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susanwenger@yahoo.com

To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.

[Joy]

Very interesting. As Carl Sagan once noted, “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this bottle into the cosmic ocean says something very hopeful about life on this planet.”


For a complete list of 'Music on the Voyager'
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html

For the 'Sounds of Earth' included on the Voyager
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/sounds.html

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
Very interesting. As Carl Sagan once noted, “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this bottle into the cosmic ocean says something very hopeful about life on this planet.”


For a complete list of 'Music on the Voyager'
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html

For the 'Sounds of Earth' included on the Voyager
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/sounds.html

With the ghastly state of affairs around the world and the serious environmental issues one wonders if we aren't sending out a slightly idealistic view of things here - Beethoven, Mozart and Bach belong to a better world in my view, a vision of a better one to come hopefully!

I agree with Haydnfan though, it was a strange selection.

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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 09-17-2006).]

[Michael]

Originally posted by Rod:
[
Let's not beat around the bush, I'd say be generous and provide the complete works of Beethoven and Handel. With the right compression you could fit all this on just 3 DVDs.

[/B]

I have just spotted an ad in yesterday's Sunday Times magazine for some type of portable player, claiming that the complete works of Beethoven can now be stored on one tiny card.

Michael

[DavidO]

Originally posted by HaydnFan:
Mozart - Die Zauberflote - Queen of the Night's Aria (Der Holle Roche)

In honor of this inclusion, I provide photocopies (sshhh...don't tell Hal Leonard) for intermediate pianists of this magnificent aria. For those of you ordinary pianists out there like me, this is mucho fun to play.

Page 01 www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=8C0DF5F319FDDCB2

Page 02 www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=4772D75257B5BADD

Page 03 www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E6BAC137362BEDDD

Page 04 www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=A9D0809B591F5680

Page 05 www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=8FDA0C604C6AB306

This arrangement is in the "Opera at the Piano" folio, part of the World's Great Classical Music series published by Hal Leonard. These are superb music books; I also have the Beethoven, which contains great intermediate-level arrangements of the Egmont Overture, all nine symphonies, Leonore Overture No. 3, Agnus Dei from the Missa, the Consecration of the House Overture, the Creatures of Prometheus Overture, the Gloria from the C Major Mass, Piano Concertos No. 3 & 5, Variations on "God Save the King," the Violin Concerto & Wellington's Victory. If anyone wants any, give a holler in the heroic key of C minor.

So, the question is then, what do you think of these selections and what might you have chosen to represent Earth?

Eh, dunno. Probably would have gone straight for the monumental, Longinian-sublime, apex-of-their-art pieces--which seems to have been the rationale, at least in part.

Or, just to be perverse & fun & pedantic, I might have sent out into space:

1. Debussy's "Martyrdom of St. Sebastian"
2. Barber/Agee's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915"
3. Puccini's "Signore, ascolta"
4. Ravel's Prelude from "Couperin's Tomb"
5. John Adams's "Shaker Loops"

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
With the ghastly state of affairs around the world and the serious environmental issues one wonders if we aren't sending out a slightly idealistic view of things here - Beethoven, Mozart and Bach belong to a better world in my view, a vision of a better one to come hopefully!

I agree with Haydnfan though, it was a strange selection.

Agree about the better world but the Voyager was sent out 30 years ago. The world was an even different place than it is now. I wonder what they would send out now? Rap perhaps? All you extra terristrials better run for the hills!



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'Truth and beauty joined'