Music for Extra Terrestrials

Posted by: droodzilla on 05 September 2007

Apologies if this has been posted before:

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. 4:40
Java, court gamelan, "Kinds of Flowers," recorded by Robert Brown. 4:43
Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. 2:08
Zaire, Pygmy girls' initiation song, recorded by Colin Turnbull. 0:56
Australia, Aborigine songs, "Morning Star" and "Devil Bird," recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26
Mexico, "El Cascabel," performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
"Johnny B. Goode," written and performed by Chuck Berry. 2:38
New Guinea, men's house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan. 1:20
Japan, shakuhachi, "Tsuru No Sugomori" ("Crane's Nest,") performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
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
Georgian S.S.R., chorus, "Tchakrulo," collected by Radio Moscow. 2:18
Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
"Melancholy Blues," performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. 3:05
Azerbaijan S.S.R., bagpipes, recorded by Radio Moscow. 2:30
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
Bulgaria, "Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin," sung by Valya Balkanska. 4:59
Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes. 0:57
Holborne, Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, "The Fairie Round," performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. 1:17
Solomon Islands, panpipes, collected by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service. 1:12
Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen. 0:38
China, ch'in, "Flowing Streams," performed by Kuan P'ing-hu. 7:37
India, raga, "Jaat Kahan Ho," sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30
"Dark Was the Night," written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson. 3:15
Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Opus 130, Cavatina, performed by Budapest String Quartet. 6:37

This is the music on the "golden record" sent into outer space on the Voyager probes 30 years ago. You can hear all of it at:

ET Music

A very interesting selection. My immediate thoughts are that jazz deserves at least one more track, and that - Bach lover though I am - three JSB tracks may be overdoing it, given that this is supposed to represent the musical output of the entire human race.

Anyway, what would you add (or take out)? And, more generally, what is the point of such an exercise anyway?
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
"Johnny B. Goode," written and performed by Chuck Berry


Now I know why we have not been visited.
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by Gianluigi Mazzorana
Did they send an LP?
I hope they sent a TT, amp and speakers as well!
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by BigH47
What no Phil Collins,so that the aliens can come on the forum an say what a load of crap he is.
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by trane
Poor us (humans that is). Our music was represented by a group of individuals who thought that ETs would prefer Classical and not Mongolian folk music. The whole idea was very stupid from the beginning.

Having said that, I would've definitely omitted Bulgarian, Georgian and Azeri stuff, because the only reason they're in the compilation was the Cold War.

Those countries never contributed to anything in history, and the "Azerbaijan S.S.R." music is not even theirs, and not even bagpipes.
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by JamH
Thanks for the link.

I knew [had heard that] Glenn Gould was included but surprised it's the C Major prelude + fugue from Book TWO !! and not Book ONE [which we all know].

Lots of stuff I never heard of [or heard] so someone went to a lot of trouble to make the selection.

I remember someone said something like "play the ET's Beethoven and they will understand us; play Bach and we are boasting".

Not sure of the point of the exercise but it was Carl Segan who was into this sort of thing.

Could argue forever about what is left out : Bartok, Beethoven piano, Stockhausen, Beatles, Korean Music, Eskimo music [about which I know nothing], Mongolian throat music .... etc. etc. But I think it was a VERY good selection.

James H.

[By the way -- according to a world-wide pole on the BBC a few years ago the best song in the known universe was 'A Nation Once Again' by the Wollf Tones' and that was not even included.

ends===
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by JamH
Choosing the greatest music of all time is difficult.

Sorabji said something like "Do not say this music is immortal when it has just been around for a few hundred years ; look at architecture which goes back to the pyramids".

Also : re Glenn Gould amazed its not the aria from the Goldbergs [maybe copyright problems / charges].

ends==
Posted on: 05 September 2007 by Cheese
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
What no Phil Collins,so that the aliens can come on the forum an say what a load of crap he is.
He was certainly more interesting than your post. This one has been done to death.
Posted on: 06 September 2007 by BigH47
Sorry to offend you Cheese it was supposed to be amusing.
See what happens when smilies go missing.
This subject of course is not boring,god how many "this artist is missing from a list" threads do we get?