Beyond that, the two most significant "planets" in casting horoscopes the sun and the moon are left out altogether. Of the various movements, "Mars" and "Jupiter" are the most frequently heard. You might also enjoyEdvard Grieg:Peer Gynt Suite, Your email address will not be published. Most tempos are inflated the unhurried Venus and Saturn are considerably slower while the fleet Mercury and Jupiter are faster. The third theme is marked pesante which means heavy or peasant like. How Holst's Jupiter influenced film and video game scores - CMUSE The composer, a man of intellect and wide-ranging interests, found musical inspiration in diverse places. As Holst has not used lots of different themes, more he has stretched and varied a small selection, the excitement from this piece comes from short bursts of sound, which are usually initiated by the brass. Upon seeing the score there are some areas where there are two chords appearing simultaneously, yet they have no diatonic relationship whatsoever. Equally anomalous, in lieu of the general tempo slowdown common with conductors over the course of long careers, Boult's five studio Planets follow no pattern; thus, for example, his Saturn swings from 8:15 in 1945, to 8:53 in 1954, to 8:24 in 1960, to 9:09 in 1967, to 8:23 in 1978. They play a fifth interval, then drop a semitone, which is repeated throughout this section. He was previously married to Isobel Harrison. Yet if the cover managed to dupe a few kids into hearing some great music, it seemed at worst a victimless crime and, in the total scheme of things, a forgivable sin against artistic integrity. 32 between 1914-1916. Throughout this whole movement, the music usually comes back to the first ostinato that was heard, this creates some stability. It could perhaps represent church bells at a funeral (as tubular bells are used extensively here), or perhaps its alarm bells that death is approaching. Sell a . Tempos in Mars and Jupiter are significantly slower than with Holst or Coates, imbuing these movements with a deeper sense of drama (albeit at the expense of driven resolve) and in doing so elevates them yet further above the realm of standard program music. Again, the contrast of moods and texture within the movement really do highlight how wonderful a composer and orchestrator Holst really is. "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity," is the most thoroughly English section of the work, with Jupiter's high spirits projected through a broad, infectiously energetic melody. The swelling brass and slow waltzing strings are met with moments of poignant beauty in the glorious tune now known as 'I Vow to Thee My Country'. The theme, however, comes out of absolutely nowhere and just begins within the loose key of Eb major. Gustav Holst was an English composer, who wrote The Plants Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917.In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. The middle section presents a surprising contrast -- a majestic flowing melody in 3/4 . The music is relatively simple, but the way that Holst manipulates, orchestrates and colours the themes make this movement incredibly exciting. Ob. Even allowing her some degree of exaggeration, the technology surely did present daunting challenges the size of the orchestra had to be drastically reduced, instruments were hard to distinguish when shorn of their highest overtones, string basses couldn't register at all, and dynamics had to be compressed to dwell between a floor of surface noise and a ceiling of distortion. While Karajan closely follows the score, his tempos are significantly slower than Holst's and portions can seem mechanical, notably a humorless Jupiter in which the gear-shift for a ponderous central hymn seems an incongruous intrusion. And since the British composer was distressed at the immediate success of the seven-movement work when it was introduced in 1919 - he never considered it one of his best efforts - its rebirth could only cause him further chagrin. Imogen recalled that the slow alternating dissonant chords (emulating the third of Schoenberg's Pieces) reflect Holst being enthralled by the solemn tolling before services at Durham Cathedral of bells rung by two very old men in black gowns, thus generating the association with old age. Saturn is variously described as Holst at his most poignant, unfolding the decay and senility of old age against a constant reminder of unremitting time and awaiting destiny (Sargent), depicting the futility of rebellion against the inexorable onset of age and its varied portents (Freed) and an altogether extraordinary piece of musical realism (James). Jupiter, The Bringer of Jolity from The Planets Gustav Holst Arranged by Sandra Dackow Grade: 4 This full-length arrangement of Jupiter is also on a massive scale, uncut and making every attempt to include all of the elements, if not instrumental colors, of the original. Holst specifies: "This bar is to be repeated until the sound is lost in the distance." If any guide to the music is required the subtitle to each piece will be found sufficient, especially if it be used in a broad sense." That said, all of Boult's Planets recordings are splendid except for the 1960 LP with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra which is crudely played with weak ensemble. In the meantime, between the two Sargent LPs, Stokowski produced the first stereo Planets, as well as the first by non-British forces. In any event, benefiting from the greater range and flexibility of microphones, amplifiers and mixers, the electrical system soon rendered acoustic recordings obsolete. Start the wiki Featured On After a brief backward glance and a massive organ pedal point, a few fragments of the spirited theme linger as "faint stars in a silent void to prepare us for the final vision" (Freed). On the 18th I had one of the worst emotional meltdowns of my entire life. Billed annually at $39.99 View Official Scores licensed from Concurrent with Boult's first remake, Decca issued a competing LP that, coming at the very end of the mono era, was soon superseded by a stereo version (albeit with a different orchestra), much as Holst's acoustical set had been promptly replaced by its electrical remake. Underneath this, the double basses play a slow and expansive theme which grows into fruition slightly later in the movement. Beyond the resemblance of Mars to the first movement of Schoenberg's Suite, Mullenger asserts the influence of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (although the savage climax of that work thrives on thoroughly erratic downbeats rather than the rigid, relentless rhythm here). I believe the reason it feels more personal is down to the fact that Holst has integrated his first human element to this suite old age. You may be wondering why this movement always feels a little on edge, well it may be due to the time signature that this movement is in. This makes the piece incredibly enchanting, enthralling and completely other-worldly. Venus on the other hand, expresses femininity, peace and gentleness and it creates a quite and peaceful place for the listener. The most widely-mentioned influence, hardly surprising from the very titles of the individual movements, is astrology. Ive worked out that the first section is in E minor, but after that point is goes between C minor, E major and Db minor. That said, the first version has its merits, mainly in greater visceral excitement from its scrappier and more incisive playing, a more intimate sense of communication arising from its reduced forces, and even some striking details, beginning at the very outset as the col legno strings open Mars with rasping ferocity. Release date from LSO Discography . Holst calls him Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity -- but that seems a very small attribute to assign to so great a planet. "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity," is the most thoroughly English section of the work, with Jupiter's high spirits projected through a broad, infectiously energetic melody. In keeping with Leo's guidance, Malcolm Sargent, a close associate, recalled that Holst didn't believe in astrology as being prophetic, but rather was attracted by the notion of each planet shedding rays of influence upon the earth and mankind. Halbrick notes that the form moves from tightly structured to more open-ended. Egdon Heath Op.47 : I Adagio - Poco Allegro - Andante maestoso. You can count four, five or six of them, depending on whether you divide the first two into their component parts - they do behave like independent themes. A far more inclusive, if highly opinionated, list is on the Peter's Planets website (no relation). Colour Coded (Original Mix) | Lars Horton Lyrics, Song Meanings, Videos I'm sure there are other good ones, but (unless you're a total hi-fi freak) do bear in mind Raymond Tuttle's admonition: "One senses that record companies are moved to record it again and again not because they feel that their artists have anything important to say about it, but because they want to show off the very latest development in recording technology. From that point onwards, he didnt believe in astrology (apart from the odd horoscope reading) which is ironic considering how much joy this piece had brought to others. Download 'Symphony No.6 in D major (2)' on iTunes, This image appears in the gallery:A beginners guide to Gustav Holsts The Planets Suite. Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity: this movement embodies the joy of living. () - Wikipedia Gustav Holst - IMDb About the Orchestral Work "The Planets, Op. 32" by Gustav Holst Throughout his career Boult remained a stalwart advocate of the work and set a record of sorts by cutting it five times in the studio (in addition to numerous preserved concerts). #8. The Planets - Jupite His career as a pianist had crashed at college when he developed neuritis so severe that he reportedly could write music only by tying a pen nib to his forefinger. Salisbury Cathedral pipe organ will breathe new life into Holst's Each movement was issued singly and then together in a seven-disc album. Boult had been a relative novice at conducting when he led the first private performance at the composer's request in 1918, but Holst clearly was pleased, later presenting Boult with the score inscribed: "This copy is the property of Adrian Boult who first caused the Planets to shine in public and thereby earned the gratitude of Gustav Holst." In the more climatic section of this movement it becomes an incredibly powerful piece of music that feels rather personal. The Planets: The overview. Greene suggests that Holst, born under the sign of Virgo, was ruled by Mercury, and indeed credits his curiosity and intellect to the mental attributes of that planet (even though his approach to composition was methodical rather than spontaneous). Hutchings, Arthur: "Music in Britain, 1918-1960" article in Martin Cooper, ed., James, Burnett: notes to the Boult/Philharmonic Promenade LP (Nixa LP 903, 1954), Kennedy, Michael: notes to the Boult/BBC reissue LP (HMV Treasury ED 39 0725 (1986), Lyons, James: notes to the Steinberg/Boston LP (DG 2530 102, 1971). The turmoil of the previous movement is seamlessly soothed away by the dulcet sounds of this movement, which is just so peaceful. It seems the approach with this movement is not how much you do, its actually what you dont do as a result of this. The first full public performance had to await October 10, 1920. One accurate version. The Planets, Op. Sargent salutes the essential clarity of Holst's scoring (derived in part from his admiration for Ravel), and notes that after a score had been written Holst routinely would go through it with an eraser to expunge inessential notes and even entire instrumental lines. The album of four 78s was issued in automatic sequence (with a 1937 Boult/BBC Symphony Elgar "Imperial March" as the eighth side following the second half of Jupiter, rather than backing Mercury) and thus, unlike with the individual discs of the Holst and Coates sets, effectively prescribed that the movements were to be heard in order, wrapping up with the triumphant conclusion of Jupiter, even though Imogen reports that Holst particularly disliked such a false "happy ending.". In short, this movement reveals Holst as the gutsy risk-taker that he was. Holst also very cleverly uses a cross-rhythmic hemiola (a hemiola is where 2 different time signatures at once, so at one point he has part of the orchestra in 4/4 and the rest in 6/4). Holst said this about Venus The whole of this movement is pervaded by the serenity of a wold which nothing seems able to disturb. Even so, she did express two reservations: that the end of Neptune is too abrupt (with only a single repetition of the closing bar) and that the final staccato chord in Mercury is much too loud, which she attributed to using too large a gesture in order to avoid a ragged attack, which would have required scrapping the whole side. These pieces were each a representation of how each planet's characteristics is depicted. Mercury brings liveliness, gaiety and youthfulness into the mixture and its vivacious nature makes it a fast-paced and exciting movement. Neptune is in the far reaches of the solar system and the end of this movement is a gradual fade out, with the last thing the audience should hear is the very far away ladies choir (who have started to walk away to create the fade out effect). A Bringer of Jollity - sites.psu.edu After Holst heard it at a January 1914 London concert (at which it was largely despised by both audience and critics) he bought the score, heavily annotated it, and regarded it as one of his most valued possessions. Stokowski shared the podium of the NBC Symphony for three seasons after Toscanini petulantly (if temporarily) resigned from "his" orchestra. In theory the pipe organ can overcome much of this problem with its panoply of distinctive voices, awesome power and ability to preserve a sustained mood (especially in the atmospheric Neptune), but a version by Peter Sykes (on a 1996 Raven CD) all too often comes across as a homogeneous sonic blur compared to the original. The title refers to the Greek and Roman mythology, where jollity was one of the god's characteristics. With Mars bringing masculinity and forcefulness to the forefront, Holst was able to paint a really vivid picture of war and the consequences of war. The Planets is a seven-movement orchestral suits composed by English composer, Gustav Holst (1874-1934). The end of the work comes to a much more delicate close, with the upper strings playing in stunningly high octaves. Three months earlier Edwin Evans had expanded on this outlook in a Musical Times article, presumably with the composer's authority: "The generally accepted astrological associations of the various planets are a sufficient clue in themselves to the imagination. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity evokes characters as well as jokes and fun-loving games. Cl. As compiled by Greene, once the entire work was heard, many critics condemned reductions to mere excerpts and were generally ecstatic in praising the immediacy, eloquence, clarity of expression, originality and importance of the entire work (although he further attributes the devotion of English critics to a reflection of national pride, whereas others' views were more tempered, with some dwelling on its derivative nature and one dismissing it as "an anthology of musical platitudes. Lyrics, Song Meanings, Videos, Full Albums & Bios: Space Age, London Underground, Yes, I Did It (Christian Hornbostel Remix), Redox, Resonatory Aspects, Straight - Phonista Remix, Metaphysic, Yes I Did It (Christian Hornbostel Remix), Velocity (Dan Rubell JUPITER, the bringer of jollity. Balances, too, are notable, with the brass in particular striding atop the strings that often dominate early electrical recordings; Imogen notes as cogent details "the bells in Saturn, the xylophone in Uranus and the distant celesta in Neptune" which indeed are audible but not intrusive. So after. Boult also led the first public performance on February 27, 1919, while Holst still was away, but omitted the final two serene movements (perhaps in part to save the cost of the wordless female chorus that makes its only appearance at the end of Neptune). In his preface to The Planets, Holst advised that there is no program in the pieces and that the subtitles should be sufficient to guide the imagination of the listener. The movement paints a wonderful landscape of sound which, even with the lack of musical transitions, is still musically exciting. Holst: The Planets, By Peter Gutmann - Classical Notes Related Items. Imogen emphasized that "clarity was his watchword," that "he never could understand slovenly workmanship" and "though his music dwells in mystical regions yet it is never indefinite or shadowy." Imogen called the tempos "a revelation" and gave as an example that although Venus is marked adagio, Holst's recordings suggest more of an andante (that is, only moderately slow). There are points where the time signature is less obvious and that is part of the whole excitement of the movement! 5. Subscribe to Plus.