{ program notes spreading to other instruments, drives this music forward.
Another free solo cadenza links to the more violent final movement, which opens with the bell-like vibraphone. Again we hear the weird cries of disassembled wind pieces. And now the timpani intensifies the high-energy percussion playing. Though the first movement’ s Chinese melody returns for gentle contrast, the Water Percussion Concerto’ s conclusion is savagely thrilling.
Instrumentation: Two piccolos, two oboes, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani percussion, harp, and strings.
Earth
Libby Larsen
Born December 24, 1950, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Among the suggestions submitted by BSO audience members for the Centennial compositions was the observation that Gustav Holst’ s“ The Planets” was missing one essential planet— Earth. Libby Larsen was inspired by this idea:
“ Thinking about Holst’ s hyper-romantic astrological character portraits of the planets in relationship to our perception, which 100 years later, has been completely altered through scientific technology, inspired me to create my work, Earth( Holst Trope). The piece is an essay from space. I imagined moving towards Earth from 200 miles out, marveling at its ephemeral atmosphere, its delicate blues and greys, its promise of life. Then, drawing nearer, detecting not only interference in its natural order, but startling interference. Finally, moving out of the orbit and back into space, intoning a eulogy for the beauty of the earth.
“ I embedded references to the earth in the music: fragments of earth referenced melodies; Morse code for three words: earth, water, air; the hymn tune‘ For the Beauty of the Earth’ and created a sense of moving towards and away from Earth, while rotating.
“ I am pleased to honor my long association with Marin Alsop, a brilliant conductor and an innovative human being. This project has been pure joy.”
Instrumentation: Two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, and strings.
The Planets
Gustav Holst
Born in Cheltenham, England, September 21, 1874; died in London, May 25, 1934
“ Every artist ought to pray not to be a success. If nobody likes your work, you have to go on just for the sake of the work, and you are in no danger of letting the public make you repeat yourself.” Gustav Holst said this before the premiere of The Planets— on November 15, 1920 by the London Symphony Orchestra— suddenly catapulted this shy, idiosyncratic composer onto the world stage. Already 46, he had previously worked in happy obscurity, cramming in his composing on Sundays and August holidays while earning his living as a highly creative music teacher at St. Paul’ s School for Girls, Morley College, and various churches. His many smaller-scale works for instruments and voices— often inspired by his mystical leanings and fascination with Sanskrit literature— had won him esteem in musical circles, but little public attention.
Not a symphony, The Planets is a series of seven subtly interrelated tone poems or, as Holst preferred,“ mood pictures.”
Holst’ s first and only work for very large orchestra, The Planets, created an immediate sensation. The New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony fought so heatedly for the American premiere that a compromise had to be struck: both performed it on the same day, but New York received the edge because of the time-zone difference. Holst stuck to his credo: he never did repeat himself with another big work in this style.
Not a symphony, The Planets is a series of seven subtly interrelated tone poems or, as Holst preferred,“ mood pictures.” When Holst wrote them from 1914 to 1916, he had become very interested in astrology. Thus, he was actually thinking more about the astrological influence of the planets on man’ s character than their qualities as celestial bodies. Each planet bears a subtitle revealing the movement’ s overall mood.
The Planets’ dazzling orchestration is the key to its impact. Holst had earned his living for many years as an orchestral trombonist and thus knew the orchestra from the inside. His giant orchestra— including organ and a generous percussion section— provides not only power for“ Mars,”“ Jupiter” and“ Saturn,” but an extensive palette of soft colors for the subtler“ Venus,”“ Mercury” and“ Neptune.” Mars, the Bringer of War: So powerful is“ Mars” as an evocation of modern warfare’ s savagery that listeners assumed Holst must have been reacting to the news from World War I’ s trenches. However,“ Mars” was actually composed in 1914 before that fatal August. In the unusual meter of 5 / 4, it opens with a relentless rhythmic ostinato— first tapped out by timpani and violins striking their strings with the wood of their bows— that gradually mounts to an ear-splitting din. Horns and bassoons introduce the ominous threenote principal motive that ends with a dissonant half-step fall. Holst instructed that“ Mars” be played as fast and brutally as possible.
Venus, the Bringer of Peace: The antithesis of“ Mars,”“ Venus” is a very soft and lyrical slow movement featuring peaceful descending lines for flutes, a sweetly pastoral melody for solo violin, and the bell-like sounds of celesta and harps.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger: Inspired by the Greek messenger of the gods, this is a light-footed and extremely fleet scherzo. Celesta and glockenspiel add sparkle to an impressionistic sound palette.
May – June 2016 | Overture 23