Space Music
"I have been fascinated by stars and galaxies as far back as I can remember. My youthful imagination was fed by a mixture of science fact and fiction. Decades later I continue to feel a sense of oneness to distant planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe in its entirety, an ongoing experience of awe and wonder which has often found expression in my music." - Bruce Lazarus
Galaxy Mix​​
for digital orchestra
Galaxy Mix is the next small step – or “giant leap” – in composer Bruce Lazarus’ continuing series of space-inspired music. All the music on this album was realized sonically on NotePerformer, Garritan, and SoftSynth instrument libraries driven by precisely notated scores printed in Finale, a meticulous process which took the composer five years of experimentation and discovery to bring to fruition. The resulting music is orchestral in nature, and offers stunning, prismatic glimpses into faraway imaginary worlds and celestial phenomena.
Musical Explorations of the Messier Catalogue of
Star Clusters and Nebulae
for solo piano
This album is based on the life work of French astronomer Charles Messier (1730-1817) who compiled a "catalogue" of approximately 110 diffuse objects in the night sky, objects which are now known as nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and immense patches of interstellar gas. Recent Hubble telescope photos of Messier objects reveal vistas of extraordinary beauty and also great variation in energy patterning – spiraling, floating, exploding, diffusing – which suggest musical variations in rhythm, texture, formal design, and melodic elements.
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Published at Universal Editions
To hear Messier pieces, follow this link to the Youtube playlist.
For more information, music samples, published sheet music
and videos, please visit Messier Star Cluster and Nebulae page.
StarSongs
for SATB Chorus with flute, cello, and harp​
"I have been fascinated by stars and galaxies as far back as I can remember. My youthful imagination was fed by a mixture of science fact and fiction. Decades later I continue to feel a sense of oneness to distant planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe in its entirety, an ongoing experience of awe and wonder which has often found expression in my music, especially in pieces such as StarSongs.
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"I originally composed StarSongs in 2002 as a cantata for the youthful voices of the Juilliard Precollege Chorale, with flute, cello, and harp, all under the music direction of conductor Rebecca Scott. 21 years later, Ms. Scott commissioned me to arrange and elaborate on StarSongs for her adult group, Cantabile Chamber Chorale.
"The work is divided into three parts, six movements in total. Part 1, Looking Up, may be heard on the recording tab below. The texts are my own words." For additional information, please visit the StarSongs page.​​​ ​​​
​​​​​​​Part 1 - Looking Up
I. We live on a Planet
We live on a planet with one moon in orbit around a star. To the composer,
this simple marvel is on par with love, beauty, and truth.
2. Three Stars
An old, dying star, a rotating neutron
star, an immense star.
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3. Up in the Sky
The solar system, the Milky Way, the distant galaxies, the cosmos.
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Part 2 - Space, Time, Connection
4. Space and Time
The vastness of the universe transcends the limits of imagination. The concept of time on a human scale has no meaning.
5. Reaching Out
An imaginary trip through space, reaching out to infinity.
Part 3 - Beyond
6. Outside the Universe
Stars are leaving the Milky way, and there may be places outside the universe. Let's embrace our tiny home world with the deepest affection.
StarSongs is published by the composer. Contact brucelazarus2k@yahoo.com for more information.
Starry Messenger
Fanfare for brass quintet
An eight-minute fanfare for brass quintet, Starry Messenger was inspired by a quote from Galileo Galilei’s first book of astronomical observations, The Starry Messenger (Sidereus Nuncius, 1610):"I have seen stars in myriads, which have never been seen before, and which surpass the old, previously known, stars in number more than ten times...”
The Moondust Footprint
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June, 1969. It seemed as though nearly everyone was sitting glued to their televisions to witness the landing of Apollo 11 and the first humans walking on the surface of the Moon. Commissioned by the adults and young people of North Cambridge Family Opera.
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Lyrics by Bobbi Katz.