Documentary
400 Years of the Telescope
A science documentary for PBS marking the International Year of Astronomy, scored for the London Symphony Orchestra and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The film traces four centuries of telescope history — from Galileo’s first skyward glance to the observatories of Chile and Hawaii — with narration by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Produced by Interstellar Studios and funded by the National Science Foundation.
Watch
A passage from the film with the orchestral score.
Listen
Selected cues from the score.
From the film
The great observatories the film visits — from Maunakea and the Canary Islands to the Chilean Andes.
From the sessions
From score preparation in the studio to the podium and the control room at Abbey Road, with conductor Nick Ingman and the orchestra.
Credits
Music composed by Mark Slater.
London Symphony Orchestra · Abbey Road Studios.
A PBS science special, funded by the NSF · 2009.