MovieScore Media takes a trip to outer space with Arturo Rodríguez's seven movement concert work From Earth to Mars, a symphonic journey, and two other pieces. The piece was first performed in December 2000 and was Rodríguez’s first professionally commissioned composition, ordered by The Kennedy Center / Imagination Celebration Fort Worth. By depicting the trip of the first human colony to Mars through the power of music, Rodríguez wrote seven movements of orchestral majesty in the style of his favourite '80s sci-fi scores and composers such as John Williams, James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith. The recording on the album is performed by 80 musicians (and choir) of The New Millennium Philharmonic Orchestra...

From Earth to Mars is a wonderful, beautiful, epic collection of themes that flow organically to provide a musical journey through space. The press release reveals, although I think most will instantly notice, that for his inspiration Arturo Rodríguez writes in a style that pays homage to some of Hollywood's most famous composers of the '80s - most notably John Williams, James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith.

Obvious inspiration was also, I'm guessing, provided by Gustav Holst's The Planets, Op. 32. (composed between 1914 and 1916). In fact, the last part of Rodríguez's symphony contains a choral segment very similar in style to Holst's 'Neptune' as well as Williams's score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The album includes two other self-contained pieces by Rodríguez. The opening track entitled 'Gate of Creation' was commissioned for the Universidad de Monterrey for the opening of their Center for Art, Architecture and Design, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The first two performances in 2013 were accompanied by a light show projected onto the building. The album's closing track is the composer's latest composition, whose theme of space exploration nicely compliment From Earth to Mars. 'El rostro de la Luna (The Face of the Moon)' was written especially for the orchestra that recorded it: the Orquesta Sinfónica de San Luis Potosí.

In fact, I have to admit that while I really loved the main symphony, it was 'El rostro de la Luna' that is the crowning glory. On occasion, this reminded me of Horner's score for Cocoon.

It's a perfect example of a wonderfully composed work of modern classical music, and anyone who enjoys beautiful, melancholic orchestrated music will totally fall in love with. Rodríguez's symphony work is easily up there with not only today's classical elite, but I'd argue that this collection is also in the same league as the output of some of the great masters.

10

Darren Rea