15-Minute Music Lesson of Music Inspired by Outer Space

I decided to write today’s “15-Minute Music Lesson of Music Inspired by Outer Space” because of the awesome solar eclipse that will be coming on August 21. Use this lesson anytime you are studying space or astronomy because the music to help you “feel” outer space.

I’ve chosen five pieces of music that cause me think of outer space when I hear them.

First, let’s listen to the end credits music of the movie Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, written by prolific American film composer Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004).

Listen now to Éclairs surl’Au-Delà – 2. La Constellation du Sagittaire (Flashes on the Beyond – 2. The Constellation of Sagittarius) by French composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992).

You are sure to think of outer space as you listen to this next piece. Hear “Fanfare” from Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss (1864-1949), a German composer. This music is also part of the soundtrack for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey:

Next, we’ll hear a piece by English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934). From 1914 to 1916, he wrote an entire suite about the 8 planets. Let’s listen to “Jupiter,” but feel free to expand today’s lesson by listening to the entire suite called The Planets.

Here is a bonus, if you’d like to try out some modern music. You might only be able to handle a minute or two of it! Listen to Atmosphères by Gyorgy Ligeti (1923-2006). Ligeti was an avant-garde Hungarian composer.

Download a free 3-page Printable Pack to use with this 15-Minute Music Lesson on Music Inspired By Outer Space:

15-Minute Music Lesson Printable Pack, free download from Music In Our Homeschool, includes Composer Sheet, Listen and Write, and Listen and Draw.

Includes:

Composer Sheet
Listen and Write (Tempo, Mood, Like it?, and Instruments/Voices)
Listen and Draw

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