You might wonder about the origins of the universe. In one movement from George Frederic Handel’s oratorio Ode to St. Cecilia, a theory emerges that the universe comes from harmony. Odd as that might seem, the idea of harmony, specifically the concept of the harmony of the spheres, has been around for awhile. This harmony doesn’t exist in a vacuum, rather, harmony arouses atoms to action, and nature in part takes the form of the classical elements cold, hot, moist, and dry. And while this understanding of the universe may be hard to prove, it certainly is beautiful and moving and is perhaps more of the soul than hard science. I recorded this piece for voice and harpsichord reduction with Linda Furia. Enjoy.
