What connects Dante's 14th century Paradiso, an early 20th century science fiction novel, and a 13-minute "symphony" for concert band written in the 1980s? It may be surprising but the answer is that they all involve a story where a human travels to Mars and finds it not harsh and warlike but beautiful and awe-inspiring. Like Dante and C. S. Lewis, composer Alan Hovhaness found an incredible source of spiritual inspiration from outer space. He made it his mission to reawaken humanity's connection to spirituality and nature by inspiring a sense of wonder, and his piece "Star Dawn" is part of that effort. In this episode we discuss a wide range of connected issues from the history of ideas about colonizing Mars to the questions of whether basic elements of Western music are the best tools for inspiring all of humanity.
References
"Star Dawn" recording directed by Keith Brion
Dante Alighieri, "Paradiso" translated by John D. Sinclair
Sylvia Engdahl, "The Planet Girded Suns"
C. S. Lewis, "Out of the Silent Planet"
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.