Startalk

Fall in love with the night sky stars!

For many, space music is best heard in the rarefied environment of the planetarium, an experience for those who appreciate the domed theater's soaring depictions of the cosmos. The thrill of all-encompassing visual and aural experiences is complemented by a music all its own.

Unquestionably the most prolific composer for the medium, Mark C. Petersen's name is synonymous with planetarium music. He has recorded and produced soundtracks for more than 60 planetarium shows. Mark has also performed live in concerts at major planetarium facilities in the U.S. and the U.K. Tens of thousands of Geodesium albums have been sold to planetaria and individuals in more than 67 countries worldwide.

The planetarium is the major medium he has composed for since 1975, and according to Mark, it inspires much of his work. "I create music as a major part of the audio-visual experience of the modern planetarium show. It complements and enhances the immersive environment we encounter under the dome."

As with previous albums, much of Mark's music comes from the rarefied domain of planetarium programs, underlying and interacting with narratives. Removed from this context in album form, the music comes to the forefront, allowing the listener to appreciate its rhythms and graceful melodies on their own.

The music on Startalk spans a nine-year period in Mark's composition career, from 1987-1996. While avid Geodesium fans may recognize a few familiar themes among the works comprising this retrospective, all 24 selections are recordings previously unreleased to the general public.

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Mark reflects on the album tracks:

Unlike the previous Geodesium albums that offer up a diverse array of tunes — changing up mood, tempo, key, and instrumentation — Startalk may be the most homogenous. It features similar sounding electric piano patches and sounds throughout, and there's a definite "up" feeling to most of the tracks. If there ever was a primarily happy Geodesium album, this would be it. Even in the tracks I made in a minor key, listeners should find a pleasant environment to envision.

Loch Ness Productions' most popular planetarium show by far was called More Than Meets The Eye, introduced in 1987. It was the quintessential night-sky-tonight program, pointing out where constellations are, and what you can see looking through binoculars and telescopes. Stargazing is what the planetarium was meant for, and that's what this most of this music was created to accompany.

Tracks 16-23 are from 1996, and a planetarium show called Sky Quest, also featuring back yard night sky observing. Maybe you can spot a decade's worth of difference in the performance style.

On our other Geodesium albums, we chose what we thought were more accessible, radio-friendly tracks. But we haven't put out the actual constellation music we're perhaps best known for as a general release. Here it is — we hope you enjoy this look back to a time when the stars on the planetarium dome were the stars of the show!

Thanks to John Wharton, Laura Kyro, Cheryl Bauer Blankenship, and Steve Savage, for commissioning the projects that inspired the creation of this music. And, as always, my special thanks to Carolyn Collins Petersen for her critical eyes, ears, and support while this music was coming into existence.