The Planets
The Planets Op. 32[1] is a seven-movement orchestral musical suite with each movement based on the astrology of a planet. The suite was made by the British composer Gustav Holst & was written between 1914 and 1916. The first complete public performance happened during World War I on 10 October 1918 in Birmingham, with Appleby Matthews directing the orchestra. However, an earlier premiere for only a small group of people was held on 29 September 1918 in the Queen's Hall in London, with the orchestra directed by Adrian Boult.[2] The suite doesn't include Earth & Pluto. The 7 movements are titled; "Mars, the bringer of war", "Venus, the bringer of peace", "Mercury, the winged messenger", "Jupiter, the bringer of jollity", "Saturn, the bringer of old age", "Uranus, the magician" & "Neptune, the mystic".
The suite features 2 harps, 2 violins, viola, cello(also called violoncello), contrabass(also called double bass), organ, celesta, 2 timpanists, triangle, side drum, tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, gong, tubular bells, 2 xylophonists, 3 glockenspielists, 6 French horns(also called horn in F or simply horn), 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, tenor tuba, 4 flutes, alto flute, 2 piccolo, 3 oboes, bass oboe, English horn(also called cors anglais), 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons & contrabassoon
The Planets Media
Gustav Holst - the planets, op. 32 - i. mars, the bringer of war
- Holst- venus.ogg
Movement II of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst, Venus, the Bringer of Peace. Performed by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band in a transcription by Merlin Patterson, edited by Capt. Lang and MSgt Aldo Forte for their 1998 C.D. Frontiers
- Holst The Planets Mercury.ogg
Movement III of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst, Mercury, the Winged Messenger. Performed by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band in a transcription by Merlin Patterson, edited by Capt. Lang and MSgt Aldo Forte for their 1998 C.D. Frontiers
- Gustav Holst - the planets, op. 32 - iv. jupiter, the bringer of jollity.ogg
Gustav Holst - the planets, op. 32 - iv. jupiter, the bringer of jollity
- Holst - Saturn.ogg
The fifth movement from Gustav Holst’s 1916 composition “The Planets”, as conducted by the composer in 1923
- Holst- uranus.ogg
Movement VI of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst, Uranus, the Magician. Performed by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band in a transcription by Merlin Patterson, edited by Capt. Lang and MSgt Aldo Forte for their 1998 C.D. Frontiers
- Holst - Neptune.ogg
The seventh movement from Gustav Holst’s 1916 composition “The Planets”, as conducted by the composer in 1923
- Holst-planets-inscription.jpg
Handwritten inscription by Gustav Holst on Adrian Boult's copy of the score of The Planets:"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."*Holst died in 1934.
References
- ↑ "The Definitive CDs" (CD 94), of Holst: The Planets (with Elgar: Enigma Variations), Norman Lebrecht, La Scena Musicale, 1 September 2004, webpage: Scena-Notes-100-CDs Archived 2019-09-18 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "'Sir Adrian Boult' on divine-art.com". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2009-08-02.