Itamar Zorman

Throughout the ages, the connection between music and space has sparked the curiosity of humans. The ancient Greeks celebrated the concept of music of the spheres, regarding the harmonic movement of celestial bodies as a form of music. Music and astronomy were both included in the medieval quadrivium of liberal arts, and Johannes Kepler’s 1619 book, Harmonices Mundi, discusses a celestial choir of planets.

This special program explores various angles of this connection, from music by Bach, whose works were included on the Voyager spacecraft, to music by Ysaÿe depicting the northern lights phenomenon in sound, and Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass.

Collaborating with the INTUITIVE Planetarium of the US Space & Rocket Center, we created visuals that go hand in hand with the music. Some of them could be seen in the promo above. Thank you to the Planetarium team for their beautiful and creative work!

On the program:

Bach - Gavotte en Rondeau from Partita in E major for unaccompanied violin

Ysaÿe - “L’Aurore” from Sonata no. 5 for solo violin

Glass - Knee Play 2 from Einstein on the Beach

Saariaho - Nocturne for solo violin

Mazzoli - Vespers for amplified violin and electronic soundtrack

Bach - Chaconne From Partita in D minor for unaccompanied violin

Howard/Sinatra - Fly me to the moon (arranged for solo violin by Moshe Zorman)

This program could also be presented in conjunction with a lecture by an astronomer, or with special lighting.