Overture Magazine 2019-20 BSO_Overture_Mar_Apr_final | Page 31

HOLST THE PLANETS
that the word suggests. ‘Nuages’ renders
the immutable aspect of the sky and the
slow, solemn motion of the clouds, fading
away in grey tones lightly tinged with
white. [Debussy also had said that he was
inspired by a lonely evening he’d spent on
a Parisian bridge gazing at the sky.] ‘Fêtes’
gives us the vibrating, dancing rhythm …
with sudden flashes of light. There is also
the episode of the procession (a dazzling,
fantastic vision) which passes through
the festive scene and becomes merged in
it. [Debussy remembered such a military
procession on a holiday evening in the
Bois de Boulogne.] …‘Sirènes’ depicts
the sea and its countless rhythms, and
presently, among the waves silvered by the
moonlight, is heard the mysterious song of
the Sirens as they laugh and pass on.”
Instrumentation: Three flutes including
piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets,
three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets,
three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion,
two harps and strings.
THE PLANETS
Gustav Holst
Born in Cheltenham, U.K., September 21,1874;
died in London, U.K., 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—which 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
small-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.
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 U.S. 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! But
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, it 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
three-note 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 its predecessor, “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 celeste
and harps.

Mercury, the Winged Messenger:
Inspired by the Greek messenger of the
gods, this is a light-footed and extremely
fleet scherzo. Celeste and glockenspiel add
sparkle to an impressionistic tonal palette.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity: The
Planets’ most popular movement,
“Jupiter” represents celebration in both
its rollicking and ceremonial aspects.
Holst concocted a bevy of tunes inspired
by Edwardian vaudeville and dance halls
for the opening and closing sections. A
proudly British melody crowns the center
section; later given words, it became the
English patriotic hymn “I Vow to Thee,
My Country.”
Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age: This
was Holst’s own favorite movement.
Tolling flutes and harps suggest the
inexorable march of time. Then,
trombones and tuba begin a weary but
noble march. Flutes propose another
march, even more bowed with age, which
grows to a mighty climax above the heavy
thud of timpani and low strings. The
movement ends in a vision of serenity and
peace: old age’s consolation.
Uranus, the Magician: Another scherzo,
“Uranus” opens with the magician’s
incantation, played three times by
different instruments. This is a movement
of magic, menace and mischief with troll-
like bassoons and mocking, heavy-footed
marches. A serene vision of “Neptune”
interrupts, then with a sardonic laugh the
magician disappears in a puff of smoke.
Neptune, the Mystic: Once again
in 5/4 meter, “Neptune” completes
the circle begun by “Mars” with an
otherworldly alternative to humankind’s
violence. Weaving flutes, high violins,
celeste and harps conjure a cool,
distant world and trance-like state
of consciousness.
Instrumentation: Four flutes including two
piccolos and alto flute, three oboes including
bass oboe, English horn, three clarinets, bass
clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon,
six horns, four trumpets, three trombones,
two tubas, two sets of timpani, percussion,
two harps, celeste, organ and strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, © 2020
M A R – A P R 2020 / OV E R T U R E
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