If aliens came to earth and threatened to destroy us all......

[springrite]

If you tried to force me to listen to Mahler's 8th symphony, I think I might just want to put an end to it all.   

Alright, into the Great Balls of Fire you go!

[CD]

I'll tell Ubloobideega to start working on that one...

We just may well discover faster-than-light travel by that point, rendering his tireless efforts null and void.

[Teresa]

....what one recording would you play to convince them of humanity's merit? I'm definitely thinking Bach, probably Glenn Gould's 1981 recording of the Goldbergs, or Koroliov's Art of the Fugue, or maybe even Starker's recording of the sixth cello suite. Please note I said one recording, so by the rules that govern this place that means limit it to about five.

Wow if you played the Goldbergs for piano or those Cello Suites of Bach I might just go ahead a destroy Earth and figure I was doing a good deed! 

I think I would play Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice and keep my fingers crossed.

[Wanderer]

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. No recordings. I'd have Abbado conduct it in the Hagia Sophia or St. Peter in Rome and if all went well I'd definitely buy the Blu-ray.

...probably Glenn Gould's...

And doomsday it is.

[Cato]

The first thing which came to mind was in fact mentioned above:
Mahler's Ninth Symphony.  Then I debated about the Bruckner Seventh Symphony.

Failing that: The Music of the Krell! 

[Keemun]

C'mon, I started a genuinely serious thread about aliens and now everyone's turning it into some kind of parody?

Your mistake was believing that we would consider a thread about aliens to be "genuinely serious." 

Nevertheless, to answer your question:  I would play Cage's 4'33" to distract them (Alien 1: "Do you hear anything?" Alien 2: "No, let's try adjusting the volume.")  while the special forces sneak up from behind and blow them to smithereens. 

[Bogey]

The first thing which came to mind was in fact mentioned above:
Mahler's Ninth Symphony.  Then I debated about the Bruckner Seventh Symphony.

Failing that: The Music of the Krell! 

Got a repro of that poster right up behind me, Cato!

[Cato]

Got a repro of that poster right up behind me, Cato!

Well, Mrs. Cato has her own ideas on American decorating   

and such things are verboten!   

I could grace my Catholic school classroom with it, but then Grace would probably complain to the pastor!   0:)

[Bogey]

Well, Mrs. Cato has her own ideas on American decorating   

and such things are verboten!   

I could grace my Catholic school classroom with it, but then Grace would probably complain to the pastor!   0:)

Oh, no, no, no.....my poster is down in the basement workroom, which is semi-unfinished and is the only room where I have freedom to decorate.

[Brahmsian]

Most definitely play Carter  It's sounds completely alien to me, so I'm sure they would relate to it. 

[Dana]

      Barber's Adagio (played by string quartet - I'll say Emerson, since it's the only one I have), and/or Mahler's Adagietto (Maazel's take with the VPO). However, I should note that in my perfect world I have both ensembles with me, so they play the music live.

Failing that, I'd turn to the Doobie Brothers

[Bogey]

     Barber's Adagio (played by string quartet - I'll say Emerson, since it's the only one I have), and/or Mahler's Adagietto (Maazel's take with the VPO). However, I should note that in my perfect world I have both ensembles with me, so they play the music live.

Failing that, I'd turn to the Doobie Brothers

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G54lfxiid_w&feature=related

[greg]

We just may well discover faster-than-light travel by that point, rendering his tireless efforts null and void.

Oh, I think you underestimate Ubloobideega. He just finished the translation this morning. 

[Superhorn]

  I would say the Solti/VPO Decca Ring with Nilsson, Windgassen, Hotter etc.

[Cato]

Oh, no, no, no.....my poster is down in the basement workroom, which is semi-unfinished and is the only room where I have freedom to decorate.

Aha, that clarifies it, and proves that you are in the club too!

Dana wrote:

The Doobie Brothers

Okay, but if you wanted to deliver a more combative message, you might want this from Pat Benatar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH1P1UO7Oqs

"We Will Be Invincible!"  Plus, with that chipmunkish overbite and early 80's hair, she looks really scary!   

[Dana]

Sorry Bogey, but I could do without the Michael McDonald Doobies Gimme that Tommy Johnston anyday

[Bogey]

Sorry Bogey, but I could do without the Michael McDonald Doobies Gimme that Tommy Johnston anyday

Yup.  Two camps on that one.  I just happen to enjoy both.

[jochanaan]

If you tried to force me to listen to Mahler's 8th symphony, I think I might just want to put an end to it all.   

De gustibus non disputandum est. 0:)

      Barber's Adagio (played by string quartet - I'll say Emerson, since it's the only one I have)...

Definitely a strong argument, but I'd go with Kronos.

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. No recordings. I'd have Abbado conduct it in the Hagia Sophia or St. Peter in Rome and if all went well I'd definitely buy the Blu-ray.

Another very strong argument, made even stronger by Karl Böhm, the Vienna Staatsoper Chorus, and the Vienna Philharmonic, with Margaret Price, Christa Ludwig, Wiecsław Ochmann, and Martti Talvela.

[CD]

Oh, I think you underestimate Ubloobideega. He just finished the translation this morning. 

But then he ate it.

[greg]

But then he ate it.

Hmmm... typical. And he wrote it on a computer, too...