I decided to take a day off of the questions to discuss something that I experienced last night. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presented Gustav Holst's The Planets accompanied by NASA space imagery and movies. The experience was breathtaking.
I love music and astronomy so it is no surprise that I was awed by this performance. Part of it is the conductor, Manfred Honeck, who is known for his historical perspective on classical music. One large difference between how we hear classical music and how it was intended to be played is speed. Modern presentations are much slower than intended. Honeck makes a habit of playing them at the faster, traditional speeds. While some people do not like the change, I love it. It makes the music faster, bolder and more intense. I really like classical music that can fill a room and make you feel like you are being blown out of your chair. Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, Beethoven's 9th (or any other Beethoven for that matter) and the 1812 Overture are some of my favorite pieces of music so hearing the Planets presented with such intensity made my heart sing. If you haven't hear Holst's Planets before I suggest giving it a listen. There is a YouTube video here that gets close to the experience as the whole symphony is accompanied by space stills.
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| Manfred Honeck |
Honeck himself is a bit over the top. Watching him conduct reminds me of all the presentations, media and images of what Beethoven "looked" like conducting. It might be part of the reason why I am so eager to see things he conducts. Mr. Honeck always seems overly animated and intense as he conducts a piece, like a vision is flowing from him and into the orchestra. I really think seeing him conduct Beethoven's 9th symphony, my absolute favorite piece of classical music, is the reason I love Honeck so much. Like so many pieces he brought it to life in ways I had not heard it played before. If you ever have a chance to see Honeck conduct, anything, I would suggest seeing it.
Back to the Planets. The symphony was accompanied by HD imagery from Hubble, the Mars Rover, Cassini, Voyager and some other images that I did not know the which probe or vehicle they were from. What struck me is that this symphony was written in 1914, long before many of these solar system objects could be seen clearly. I felt a sense of awe when the symphony's rhythm matched pace perfectly with the time of Saturn's rings spinning or the transit of Venus across the sun. Not only was the imagery spectacular but there was a sense of oneness that was created. Realizing that a composer could create a piece of music in the tempo of things he had not seen was like having a window into some connection between the human spirit/creativity and the universe. It reminded of research I read not long ago about musical preference being related to the speed and patterns of neurons firing and alpha/beta waves in our brain. It is as if the music we love and our brains are intimately twined together. I felt that way last night... my brain, the music and the solar system were woven into one cohesive pattern. It was close to bringing me to tears, especially seeing the music and the rings of Saturn in time with each other. I left feeling at one with the whole solar system. It was really a phenomenal science/spiritual experience.
From this I was reminded of research about how the universe sounds. Janna Levin and Honor Hargar have done talks on the topic of sounds that the universe makes.
Links to space images used in the presentation.
The Hubble Site
Mars Rover Site
Cassini Saturn Mission
Voyager Mission
Links to all the Successful Solar System missions, for all countries
Music and Brain related articles
FAQ From a Neurologist about Music.
Research in Alpha and Beta waves with tempo
The brain and Music Appreciation
Why our Brains Need Music
The Auditory Cortex and Music Preferences
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