The Planets

BY,Gustav HolstMacKenna MullinsHigh school music

Appreciation

Gustav Holst

• Born in Cheltenham, England, in 1874

• Holst was taught to play the violin and piano, and began composing at the age of twelve.

His Music

• Holst was a creator of Operas, chamber, vocal, and orchestral music of many different styles. His most famous works are his St. Pauls Suite, and the Planets Suite.

“Seven Pieces for Large Orchestra”

• This was the original name of The Planets Suite.

• The Planets displays the influence of both Stravinsky and Schoenberg.

• The idea of The Planets inspired by the book, “What is a horoscope?” by Alan Leo.

Holst said:

“That work, whether it’s good or bad, grew in my mind slowly-like a baby in a woman’s womb…For two years it seemed of itself more and more definitely to be taking form.

Each Planet has it’s own characteristics

• Each movement is a “mood picture” and acts as a “foil to the other mood pictures”

The Planets

• Mars, The Bringer of War

• Venus, The Bringer of Peace

• Mercury, The Winged Messenger

• Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity

• Uranus, The Magician

• Neptune, The Mystic

• Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age

MARS

CHARACTERISTICS:

Independent, confident, ambitious, enterprising, skillful in action, “headstrong and at times too forceful”

More about Mars…

• Some say that Mars is the most ferocious piece of music in existence

• It is said to evoke violence and sheer terror which had never been heard before

• Holst insisted that Mars should be performed at a quick tempo

VENUS

CHARACTERISTICS:

Awakens the affectionate and emotional side of her subjects, giving them a clear appreciation of art and beauty

MERCURY

CHARACTERISTICS:

The “winged messenger of the Gods” gives adaptability, fertility, and the ability to use the mind in various ways

JUPITER

CHARACTERISTICS:

Brings an abundance of life slow and steady- those under its influence will be more plodding and persevering than brilliant and active

URANUS

CHARACTERISTICS:

Will incline its subjects towards the metaphysical and occult side of life producing eccentric, strange, and erratic reactions

NEPTUNE

CHARACTERISTICS:

Great influence over psychic tendencies, helping mediums and other sensitive people to transcend mundane distractions and “tune- in” to vibrations from another world

Neptune

• At the time, Neptune was the farthest known planet and Holst wanted to depict the wonder and mystery of outer space.

• The remoteness of space captured by the persistent pp dynamics which eventually fade into silence evoking the infinity of the universe.

PLUTO

There is no Pluto because Pluto had not yet been discovered.

SATURN

CHARACTERISTICS:

Saturn is slow, the movement is named the bringer of old age, and you can hear the clock ticking in the background

The Planets

• The Planets is a very powerful piece of music that is popular even today.

• It is not uncommon to hear an orchestra play movements of The Planets Suite, or even a High School Marching Band.

THE

END