Gustav Holst The Planets – 51 minutes

1 Mars, the Bringer of War (allegro)

00:00
Holst begins his orchestral suite ‘The Planets’ with Mars. There is no consensus among critics as to why he chose this planet as the first. For anyone who thinks they hear the rhythm of war (even in 1914), that’s pure coincidence, said Holst.

01:20 forte tutti
Tubas and trombones take over the rhythm from the timpani and strings. Emerging from the concentrated energy is a desperately sounding melody: again and again, the rhythm that starts higher and higher.

02:13 rhythmic after eruption
With a clear pulse as accompaniment, the tuba begins its melody. Fellow brass instruments, the trumpets, add their comments. It sounds almost festive when the piccolo (a small flute) enters, but then ...

03:20 after climax, soft basses
The degenerate party hums in soft basses. The melody rises and falls, louder and softer, like the wind rising up before a storm. The short, repetitive notes of the trumpets reinforce the threat.

04:26 climax rhythm with timpani
At the climax the orchestra sounds like a final chord. But the end is not in sight; the planet Mars is rotating and burning brightly. As if Holst momentarily wants to drown out his extremely shy nature, he lets the orchestra explode.

05:18 muted trumpet
When the sounding rhythm suddenly becomes quieter again, the trumpets take over. They play the melody of the tuba, fighting spirit included. Then we hear the swinging melody again, just as desperate as in the beginning.

06:18 climax long note
After the climax, something has clearly changed. The violins seem completely disoriented for a moment: their high, romantic melody takes a nervous turn. Then Mars, the Bringer of War, ends stronger than it began.

2 Venus, the Bringer of Peace (adagio)

08:59

00:00
In clear voice, the horns announce Venus, the planet of love. It’s a stark contrast with Mars. According to ancient Greek astrologers, every planet represents the will of a god, and its influence on humanity.

01:19 long flute note, then horn
Again, we hear the clear horns. While their inquisitive melody ascends, the flutes descend. Holst thus creates new space, like a no-man’s land in outer space.

02:11 violin solo
One violin takes the floor in that newly created space. Is it Venus herself, the goddess of love and fertility? Her melody sounds reassuring and romantic. At the same time, the brass passionately repeat their notes.

03:00 oboe solo
The oboe repeats the last part of the violin melody, after which they ascend together. It sometimes troubled Holst that this suite instantly became his most popular composition: “I have written more and better work.”

03:54 solo oboe enters
The oboe melody is harmoniously continued by the clarinet. In the orchestra hope and expectation can be heard, like a new phase of life for the composer. But why this chord full of disharmony?

04:56 calm fourths (adagio)
Harp and bassoon continue calmly and regularly, at the opening tempo. Then, after “the striking” of the celesta (a keyboard instrument that sounds like a glockenspiel), we again hear the opening melody of the horn.

05:59 climax after cello loop
The violins play with a mute that gives their high melody a more nasal and quieter sound. Holst’s notation in the score is “morendo” (dying away). He was one of the first composers to use the “fade out”.

06:59 bass on 1st count, high flute
With contrasting low basses, the flutes and celesta seem to let the sun come through. Swaying in the sun’s rays, we clearly hear how Holst has inspired many (film) composers after him.

07:56 flutes in fourths
The last sweet sounds of Venus are for celesta and violins. Not only does Holst let the volume fade away, but the tempo also seems to slow down, like a music box that gradually stops once the child is asleep.

3 Mercury, the Winged Messenger (vivace)

04:02

00:00
Mercury is the shortest and fastest movement of this suite. Holst initially only used the secondary titles; this third part was called “the winged messenger”. It explains all the vivacity that we hear.

00:59 violin enters
Oboe and flute repeat the excited melody of the violin. We also hear this in the bell sounds of the celesta. With Mercury, protector of nature, Holst seems to give the birds a voice in this movement.

01:55 soft long note
The vivacity momentarily comes to a standstill in a fermate (pause that lasts as long as the conductor wants it to). Then the bassoon, from its low notes, sets things in motion again. Holst lets the orchestra sparkle.

03:07 finish with timpani
The celesta doesn’t agree with the closure by the timpani. Once again, it plays assertive bell sounds. Then the violin melody also returns. Nevertheless, this movement ends here, virtuosic and fleeting.

4 Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (allegro giocoso)

08:03

00:00
As an inspiring mentor for all gods, Jupiter sounds mighty, fast and swinging. In the central movement of the suite, Holst adds extra brass. Trumpets seem to want to announce something. A melody perhaps?

01:01 climax: short note
Violins and cellos are the first to start with a strong melody and are then supported by several horns. The lightness only comes when flutes and other woodwinds enter; the cellos play pizzicato for a moment.

01:59 brass again after strings
The whole orchestra is ignited by the pulse of the strings. On every first beat (of three) they give an accent and as such lead the whole orchestra in a carrousel dance. But how long can this continue?

03:02 strings melody enter
Again, the strings and horns start a new melody, one that is now world famous. Holst wrote it in such a way that an ode could be set to it. Hand on heart.

04:11 new phrase with upbeat
Holst lets the ending of his honourable song resound in all its glory. There’s no way round it: Jupiter is the only real master among the planets. The whole orchestra seems to agree.

05:00 suddenly quieter
The closing chord remains elusive. Instead, we hear subtle lively sounds like those in the previous movement. However, all movement is again leading towards triumph, an atmosphere of Olympic athletes and winners.

06:03 bash, then strings enter
The bash of the tambourine is a sign for the strings and horns to play the strong melody once more. But now a note lower than the first time, lending it a little more weight.

07:06 trumpet enters high
Particles flying around seem to turn this finale into a merry-go-round. Then, amidst the chaos, we suddenly hear the trumpet play a fragment of the familiar tune. Jupiter can and is allowed to triumph.

5 Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (adagio)

09:36

00:00
Saturn represents Father Time, bringing old age, slowly (adagio) but firmly. Low basses play long, menacing notes, while the harps and (alto) flutes set the pace.

01:06 oboe enters
The oboe repeats the two-note violin melody. Holst learnt from his contemporary Schönberg how meaningful a few notes can be. Heckelphone (low oboe) and horn repeat the short melody, as if they understand the mystery.

01:58 trombones
Two different trombones (tenor and bass) play their melody. Is that the sound of hope in the harmonious interplay? Holst took up the trombone himself when a medical problem with his hand made it impossible for him to play the piano.

03:05 descending tubas
A descending bass tuba introduces a new atmosphere. Are we getting closer to the astrological, the sound of the universe? Then the flutes play a quietly progressing melody à la Bach. Holst adored this old master.

04:16 clarinet begins
The plucking notes of cellos and basses are now bowed loudly, advancing like steps of a giant. For a moment it sounds as if Saturn wants to compete with the mighty Jupiter. After all, there’s only one ring between them.

05:16 violins seconds (briefly)
The strings nervously voice their concern. Again, the melody has only two notes, this time with an alarming sound because of their speed. In the percussion, a bell, struck on the hollow, sounds increasingly softly.

06:22 low wind then rhythmic
Though the orchestra has calmed down, the threat remains audible in the long bass tones. Softly, the flutes and harps begin with high sounds, like ticking wrist watches.

07:38 boisterous harps
The tones of harps and flutes now intermingle rapidly. The mild chaos that ensues depicts once again the universe with all its circulating particles. Then the two trombones play together again, lower now.

08:33 after a "breath", violins again
We hear a very brief intake of breath by the whole orchestra. The low basses seem much less threatening now that the violins are playing so high. The strings climb higher and higher, right up into the last bit of thin air.

6 Uranus, the Magician (allegro)

06:04

00:00
The second title for Uranus, this movement, is “the Magician”. Immediately, it sounds as if the planet wants to demonstrate its power and skill: four strong notes by the brass (trumpets, trombones and tubas) are a good start.

00:53 violins tied notes
We hear something of the lightness that we witnessed in Mercury. This is how Holst weaves an invisible thread connecting the different parts of the suite. Then the strings start a grand alienating melody.

01:57 climax with cymbals
The violins halve the rhythm suddenly, as if Father Time is coming with a warning. Then, slowly, Uranus' wizardry picks up again. Holst uses the high piccolo in this movement instead of alto flute.

04:20 climax long note
After the climax, it becomes quieter on Uranus. Something of the thin air around Saturn is also tangible here. The strings seem for a moment to begin a romantic melody. A reference to Venus, the slow second part?

05:10 emerging timpani
The roll of the timpani meantime sounds familiar to our ears. One last time, the brass sound their powerful tones, before Holst lets the end of this movement disappear like a magic trick.

7 Neptune, the Mystic (andante)

07:45

00:00
Holst kept Neptune for the last part of the suite and called it “the Mystic”. Four years before his death (1930) the planet Pluto was discovered. But Holst didn’t for one moment consider writing an extra movement.

00:52 oboe solo
The oboe starts a melody, clear and high. The violins, harps and celesta quickly take over and envelop it in a mysterious haze. Like a long soft wind, the notes keep coming.

01:56 celesta high bells
In the highest notes of the celesta, you hear the metal clearly, but softer than a chime. Film composer John Williams was inspired by Holst’s melodies and sounds in his music for the “Star Wars” films.

02:52 trombones and harp
The long notes of the trombones are accompanied by an opulent, repetitive harp. In this movement, Holst repeatedly uses (unusual) groups of five beats, thereby creating an extra feeling of space.

03:52 cellos
The cellos begin a melody that is almost immediately taken over by the oboes, and then they build on it, ascending to the heights. It seems to herald a remarkable sound: that of the human voice.

04:54 choir after violins
The choir interrupts the romantic melody of the violins with alienating unearthly sounds. Holst uses many repeated patterns, which would be considered “minimal music” more than half a century later.

05:48 orchestral murmur after choir
In a virtuoso murmur the orchestra plays its last notes. This work also became famous, thanks to the fade out. “Unforgettable”, according to Holst’s daughter, “how there seems to be no difference between sound and silence.”

Text: Marike Verheul