View
227
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
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.
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.