𝙳𝚊𝚢 7 🌙 ＧＡＮＹＭＥＤＥ
Friday looks at how Galileo shot to fame.
Today we focus on his famous "The Starry Messenger", where his revolutionary discovery of Ganymede impacted the world and turned old notions of a geocentric universe upside down...
It is March 13th, 1610, the day Galileo published his telescopic observations in a 24-page pamphlet called "The Starry Messenger", which sold out immediately after print.
People all over were inspired by his work. They created statues and held lavish parades and events in his honour, praising his work. The church became increasingly worried as Galileo's enormous popularity grew.
Galileo upheld the universe's heliocentric model, a view that went against everything the ancient philosophers had taught. The church held high reverence towards ancient authorities (Ptolemy and Aristotle), but Galileo's findings conflicted with biblical teachings.
And this placed the church in a very uncomfortable position.
LIBRETTO excerpt:
Unleashing old notions found
Planets and their moons abound
Orbit the sun
Shook the known world order
Galilei was well aware that he was going against classical and biblical authorities and was not following church views. He also knew that people before him had been punished and tortured for upholding these beliefs.
So, perhaps not surprisingly, Galileo was finally ordered by the church to stop believing what he had seen through his telescope. He was summoned before the highest leader of the ruling catholic faith, the Pope.
Galileo spent the last of his days under house guard. However, despite the dreary final days of Galileo's life, the 6th movement of THE MOONS SYMPHONY wishes to celebrate his incredible accomplishments and mark his magnificence in the musical atmosphere.
The last excerpt in Ganymedes's musical chapter begins joyfully to salute Galileo's giant revelations and the advent of modern science and also explores the story of the conflicts with the church having made these colossal discoverers.
The final passage of music ends is a celebratory atmosphere as we marvel our present-day technological advancements to see even further into the cosmic playground of life.
LIBRETTO excerpt:
We now see our heavens magnified
With such brilliant clarity
Night skies of blackest seas
Galaxies of the infinite Cosmic cradles Nebulae
Skies for contemplation, Moons of inspiration!
GANYMEDE Music Excerpt "The Starry Messenger"