• 3 years ago
• Posted in:Tasks
• 1
• Author: angela beckett

Musical Selections Included on the Golden Record:

• 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

My curated list:

1. Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
   • This song was an immediate winner for making the curated list, even before I listened to it, because it reminded me of my dad; listening to it only proved what I already knew. My father was sort of a gypsy type, and every year we would pack up his truck and camper and drive down the west-coast to the tip of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Much of my childhood memories were spent in small Mexican towns and, even when we were in Canada, time spent with my father was always accompanied by music blasting from wherever he lived at the time (a house, a trailer, a boat, a house-boat). Listening to Mariachi music transports me to those memories and evokes such strong feelings of love and safety and longing, that I had to include this song here. This was a solely personal choice, whereas the rest of the songs I tried to be more objective and ‘fair’.
2. Mozart, The Magic Flute, Queen of the Night aria, no. 14. Edda Moser, soprano. Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor. 2:55
   • Opera music has the ability to convey strong emotion through song, even if one does not speak the language. I also wanted to include one of the great composers, but I felt the original list contained too many high-brow western-European examples – especially Bach! Why did he get so many entries on the list? To narrow down my entry here, I compared the Bach songs to Mozart and Beethoven and selected one based on my emotional response. As soon as I realized the Mozart entry was the Queen of the Night aria, I figured it would be the winner, but I still listened to the others with an open mind (I’m quite fond of classical/baroque/orchestral music to begin with). Hearing the first 15 seconds of soprano Edda Moser’s voice had me closing my eyes and feeling goosebumps, so Mozart made the list.
3. Bulgaria, “Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin,” sung by Valya Balkanska. 4:59
   • This song had a pleasing eerie, haunting quality to it. Most of my choices for this list are based on the emotional response I have to them, because that is what I think makes music so important. I tried to select songs that represented as many areas of the globe as I could, and this Bulgarian piece instantly transports me to Eastern Europe. Perhaps I chose it because it is so exotic to my own ears, which may be a positive or a negative method of curation – I’m not entirely sure.
4. Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26
   • Representing Oceania is this recording of Australian Aborigine songs. I love the sound of the didgeridoo; it makes the origins of this music immediately known to the listener… if they are from our planet, of course. I think the circular breathing technique needed to play the instrument represents the red-earthed outback of Australia well, and honors the first peoples of that continent who have been there far longer than many of the others on the original list.
5. Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
   • From South America is this upbeat Peruvian instrumental. The drumming creates a steady beat that encourages (I think) a smile and the desire to move one’s body. To me, it evokes a feeling of people gathering and celebrating together; I think this makes it a strong candidate for the curated list.
6. “Melancholy Blues,” performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. 3:05
   • Of course I wanted to represent the North America that I identify strongly with, as well, and jazz to me is the quintessential sound of America at its height. Again, this view is subjective to my own opinion, but I had three very ‘American’ choices that I compared against each other to fill this slot: “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry, “Dark Was the Night” by Blind Willie Johnson, and “Melancholy Blues” by Louis Armstrong. While I think they are all three excellent examples of American music, I thought that Louis Armstrong’s was more accessible. What I mean by that is, as much as I love rock-and-roll and it makes me want to move and dance (a sign that a piece of music is good), I have to be in a certain place or mood to fully enjoy that genre. Blind Willie’s music was evocative, but I think only encompasses a part of the American image (a Southern/country/folksy part). The instruments and sounds were also similar to some other pieces that made this list, which is why I stuck with good ol’ Louis Armstrong. Jazz can be listened to at any time and won’t be as distracting as rock-and-roll music, it makes you want to sway and move to the rhythm if so inclined, and the instruments are different than the rest of this list.
7. Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes. 0:57
   • Yes, I chose two songs from the American continent; I guess I haven’t been as objective as I thought I was for this curation. But I couldn’t only represent America with a jazz piece, and completely ignore the Indigenous peoples who occupied the land for thousands of years before my ancestors ever did! I think this piece by the Navajo Indians deserves a place on the list. Many indigenous cultures believe that some of their knowledge, stories, and music, are not meant for the ears of outsiders. Taking that into account, offering this song makes it a privilege to even be able to include it and potentially share it with people not of this earth.
8. India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30
   • This song was somehow peaceful and emotional at the same time to me, which is why I selected it for the curated list. Not only does it represent the South-Western part of Asia, but the longing in the singer’s voice felt extremely familiar to me, even though I could not understand the words. She was singing from the heart, and I think that makes this piece of art transcend language barriers.
9. Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo,” collected by Radio Moscow. 2:18
   • There is something utterly hypnotizing about choral singing, which is why I chose this song for the curated list. I used to sing at the church my grandparents took me to during my childhood, and I can remember the sensation of being transported to another plane just through song. Even though I am not now religious, I still attribute that specific feeling to music and song. If another life-force was out there, I would want them to experience even a fraction of that magic; I think this Georgian choral song does just that.
10. China, ch’in, “Flowing Streams,” performed by Kuan P’ing-hu. 7:37
    • I struggled to choose a song to represent East Asia, as Japan and China are two distinct and separate cultures but are often lumped together. Since they both occupy the same large continent, and I was trying to choose songs from locations spread apart on the globe, I wanted to choose only one of them for the list. In the end I have no good reason why I chose this one over the “Crane’s Nest” except that when I closed my eyes to listen to them both, I enjoyed the sensation of “Flowing Streams” more.