This unusual astronomy-meets-music event had its origins in a similar concert in late 2007 where young piano players featured short modern pieces composed by young music students who had been inspired by exhibits in the Deutsches Museum Bonn.
Afterwards the author had approached the composers' teacher, David Graham, and suggested that this approach might also work for the IYA 2009 which strives to bring astronomy and art together (as one of many goals). Graham was excited right away, being already an astronomy enthusiast - and 1 1/3 years later the result of this brief chat could be heard for the first time at the same place.
The composers were often the same (now older and even better), and again Susanne Kessel and her students performed the pieces while the composers and astronomer Michael Geffert who had advised them (and who is also the German IYA SPoC) introduced the ideas behind the compositions. A few of the performances also involved electronic music which the students had recorded themselves.
Graham and Kessel introducing the project to the packed audience.
Left: Kessel reading a message by Buzz Aldrin's daughter Janice. Right: Geffert introducing the first composer, B. Vogel.
This piece ("Die Botschaft", the message) by G. Baumgarten dealt with a message to aliens which gets an answer millennia later.
"Mr Argelander his fancy" was composed by Graham himself, inspired by the Bonner Durchmusterung initiated by F. Argelander in the old Bonn Observatory seen in projection. The observer stamped his foot every time a star passed the crosshairs of the static telescope to signal an assistant time keeper; this kind of celestial rhythm made Graham immediately think of music. Of course ...
The composers, performers and advisors, all in one shot.
Ringvorlesung at University, 16 and 23 April 2009
At the first lecture in Bonn University's IYA-Ringvorlesung (series of public talks) Wolfhard Schlosser faced an audience of some 350; no wonder as the topic was the hugely popular Nebra sky disk. Host is Uli Klein.
One week later Jürgen Hamel discussed the advantages of the Ptolemaic worldview and why it remained the first choice for most until the 17th century.
To the preceding IYA event in Bonn, the first Deutsches Museum IYA event - or the SternenZelt in June?
All pictures by Daniel Fischer.