As astrophysicists like Neil deGrasse Tyson learn more about the cosmos and present their often strange and wondrous findings to the public, the creative mind can’t help but be captivated and inspired, and composers are certainly no exception. From superstrings to quarks, multiple dimensions to M theory, we’ll play several imaginative works by composers captivated by our universe.
Composer Cosmology
Hubble data: NASA, ESA, and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); Spitzer data: NASA/JPL/Caltech/S. Willner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Playlist
“Beginnings” from Divinum Mysteriun (excerpt), by Daniel Kellogg
eighth blackbird
“Heart of Space” from Short History of the Universe, by Derek Bermel
JACK Quartet; Derek Bermel, clarinet
“The Spirit of God Moved Upon the Face of the Waters”, from Divinum Mysteriun by Daniel Kellogg
eighth blackbird
“Ka”, from Sulvasutra, by Evan Ziporyn
The Silk Road Ensemble
Gondwana (excerpt), by Tristan Murail
ORTF National Orchestra; Yves Prin, conductor
“String Theory”, from Three Pieces of Mixed Trio, by Mark Petering
Adam Marks, piano; Andrew Williams, violin; Jennifer Woodrum, clarinet
“The Fractal Terrace”, from The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, by Michael Gandolfi
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Robert Spano, conductor
The Mannheim Rocket, by John Corigliano
Helsinki Symphony Orchestra; John Storgårds, condcutor