Question by mephistopheles: Care to compile your own Voyager Golden record?
NASA’s twin Voyager spacecraft launched in August and September 1977.
They have now departed our solar system into empty space and it is estimated it will be forty thousand years before they make a close approach to any other planetary system.
As Astro-physicist Carl Sagan has noted, “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space faring civilizations in interstellar space”.
Aboard each spacecraft is a golden record,a sort of time capsule, which amongst other sounds from earth includes a 90-minute selection of music, including both Eastern and Western classics and a variety of ethnic music.
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html
I’ve separated the seven Western classical pieces and they are:
* Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. 4:40
* Bach, “Gavotte en rondeaux” from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin, performed by Arthur Grumiaux. 2:55
* Mozart, The Magic Flute, Queen of the Night aria, no. 14. Edda Moser, soprano. Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor. 2:55
* Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor. 4:35
* Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No.1. Glenn Gould, piano. 4:48
* Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. 7:20
* Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Opus 130, Cavatina, performed by Budapest String Quartet. 6:37
Picking just seven and following this example
(you can include or omit all or any of the above) which pieces would you have chosen to be included on the Yoyager Golden record?
Just for fun of course.
I’ll submit my choices soon as I’ve fathomed them.
Cheers
Mephistopheles
Hi Alberich,
I couldn’t agree more.
Alas it was Carl Sagan who led the committee to pick what was on the record and to call some of them strange is, well a gross understatement.
There are 27 selections in all which even include a Blind Willie Johnson tune! yet only seven by Bach,Beethoven, Mozart and Stravinsky
http://newsaic.com/mwspace.html
Anyway thank you for all the answers up to now and especially to Kalibasa.
Damnit though this turned into an infinitely harder proposition than I anticipated,
7 being such a meager number to work with.
Oh well I eventually managed to whittle down my choices to the said amount.
To follow:
1 Gregorio Allegri – Missere
2 Beethoven – “Molto Adagio” from the Rasoumovski String Quartet No.II
3 J.S Bach – Ciaconna from Violin Partita No.2 in D minor
4 Vaughan-Williams – Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
5 Handel – Le Grande Sarabande
6 Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
7 Hanson – “Adagio” from Symphony No.2
To Boy Wonder.
Yes of course other music genres must be represented.There were 27 selections of music on the Voyager record(as I stated)only seven were western classical.Hence my hypothetical question as to which seven pieces you’d pick to represent this genre.I didn’t want to ask for 27 choices from every music genre and culture under the sun : )
Best answer:
Answer by Alberich
Do I understand correctly, in that there were only seven pieces of Western classical music provided; and that three of these were by Bach and two, Beethoven?
If so, who was responsible for making the choices: how horribly unrepresentative. Please confirm or clarify; will return later to post my compilation.
Alberich
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Thanks for the clarification; and yes only seven is a restrictive number. But it’s as good as any – a “mystical” one – and one has to draw the line some place.
I’ll provide mine in a time sequence, an evolutionary context as I think others have done.
1) any alien should be made aware of what we humans are capable of when it comes to the creation of musical instruments: i.e. the “organ”(am listening to Bach’s “Fantasy, BWV 572″ as I compose this response).
J.S. Bach’s “Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor”.
2) the glory of a chorus of human voices: Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from his “The Messiah”.
3) the struggle against and the anger which we humans are capable of and suppression precipitates – we are no breed of angels; let’s be up front and honest about it: “1st movement” of Beethoven’s “5th Symphony”.
4) our greatest exemplary effort of fusion of all the arts: the “Immolation” from Wagner’s “Die Gotterdammerung”(yes, wouldn’t dream of leaving out Wagner from such a compilation).
5) our greatest contrivance so far of an instrumental ensemble, a symphonic tapestry: Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” ballet suite #-2, “Daybreak”.
6) our most popular instrument, and an American masterpiece composed for it: Joplin’s “Maple Leaf” rag.
7) emblematic musical reference to the greatest political experiment in human history: our American democracy: Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”.
Alberich
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
