jsc@nbires.UUCP (06/27/83)
In the list of classical music composed with a view skywards, I can't believe that Gustav Holst's "The Planets" was omitted.
gdw.jhu%UDel-Relay@sri-unix.UUCP (06/30/83)
From: Geoffrey Wright <gdw.jhu@UDel-Relay> There has been some discussion of SF music lately, but so far the references I've seen pertain to Rock oriented music. "Classical" composers have long taken inspiration from space, the planets and stars, the sun and moon, and beyond the solar system. "Classical" music was used to good effect in 2001, although most of it was not composed with the film in mind. CLOCKWORK ORANGE used music realized on Moog Synthesizers by Walter (now Wendy) Carlos -- some of which was composed for the movie, the rest of which was an "electronic orchestration" of well-known music. New techniques in electronically generated sound (both analog and digital sound production) allow the composer to create almost any sound imaginable, the limit being human perceptual abilities. Many computer music composers, however, have resisted the classification of their music as "Science Fiction" music simply because of the medium (a valid point). However it is likely that the music produced on such systems may challange the traditional concepts of musical thought, leading to new types of music hinted at in various SF works. One of the earliest all-electronic movie soundtracks was composed by Louis and Bebe Baron for Forbidden Planet (1956). The electronic sounds served the dual functions of sound effects and mood-setting music. The composers tried to relate the sound to the story in a carefully integrated way: "...We design and construct circuits which function electronically in a manner remarkably similar to the way that lower life-forms function psychologically." [The composers as quoted in MIT 's Computer Music Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1] A partial list of "Classical" music inspired by Space or SF might interest some: [taken from "Music: Facts and Feats", 2nd ed, Sterling Publishing, 1981, R. and C. Dearling] MOON-- Der Mond (opera, 1939) -- Orff Silver Apples of the Moon (Electronic Composition, 1967) -- Subotnik The Excursions of Mr. Brucek to the Moon (opera, 1920) -- Janacek The World of the Moon (opera, 1750) -- Galuppi The World of the Moon (opera, 1777) -- Haydn SUN -- Sun Music in five parts (I-IV for orchestra, V for chorus and percussion) -- Sculthorpe PLANETS -- Urania, for Orchestra (1965) -- Garcia Symphony No. 3, Op. 40, 'Uranus' (l956) -- Penberthy BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM -- Symphony No. 2, 'Ad Astra' (1943) -- Isacsson Aniara, space opera (1959) -- Blomdahl Atlas Eclipticalis, for string trio, harp, piano, clarinet, and percussion (in which the patterns of heavenly constellations are transcribed into musical shapes) -- Cage Symphony No. 2, Op. 19, 'Nebula in Andromeda' (1963) -- Pospisil Sirius (The Dog Star, 8.7 Light Years from Earth), for tape, bass, soprano, bass clarinet, and trumpet, spacially arranged (1976) -- Stockhausen The Space Dragon of Galatar, an opera workshop project for voices, sound effects and piano -- Paynter Beyond the Universe, nine symphonic poems, Opp. 140-148 (1973) -- Penberthy There are many other works, but the above should serve to hint at the wealth of music inspired by SF and related fields. I would welcome any other works you've heard or know about. Geoffrey Wright Peabody Conservatory Computer Music Studio The Johns Hopkins University