Sometimes these posts just write themselves.

The internet is exploding because of David Bowie’s death. One of Bowie’s most popular songs is “Space Oddity.” That title was adapted from the Stanley Kubrick film, “2001 – A Space Odyssey.” The soundtrack to that movie included some fantastic pieces of Art Music, especially Atmosphères by György Ligeti. Here, Ligeti does away with many of the traditional musical elements and instead explores texture and timbre. The piece speaks for itself; many love it, some hate it.

If you read Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, there are some interesting tales of musical amusia. I wonder how people who suffer from this condition would hear Atmosphères.