orchestration for its time and utterly modern in its language.’’
Originally titled Seven Pieces for Large Orchestra, the suite is
remarkably diverse, with each movement in complete contrast to
those around it. Here’s a brief listener’s guide:
1. Mars, the Bringer of War — The first section to be composed,
in 1914, opens with a menacing ostinato in 5/4 rhythm that quickly
turns into a brassy, barbaric masterpiece of rhythm designed to
unsettle listeners from the get-go.
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace — Relaxed and ethereal, this
portrayal of the Roman goddess offers relief from the prior turmoil
in a luminous blend of strings and harp.
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger — The last section to be
completed, in 1916, this scherzo exchanges quicksilver themes in
a delicate dance that ends almost as soon as it begins.
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity — A Jovian celebration and
the most extroverted of the bunch, its main theme later used in the
hymn I vow to thee, my country.
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age — Solemn and dignified, the
music for the ringed planet unfolds as an expansive march of time,
first grim, then peaceful, with tolling bells suggesting a release
from life.
6. Uranus, the Magician — Four notes from the brass introduce
the god of the skies and heaven, the music transformed into a
macabre march that seems to represent spent souls.
7. Neptune, the Mystic — A melismatic women’s chorus sings
a wordless hymn that evaporates into silence, which might be
viewed as eternity or the celestial void beyond our solar system.
This section, entirely in pianissimo, is arguably the first piece of
classical music to end with a “fade out.’’ Note how similar this
music is to Sirens, the third movement of Debussy’s Nocturnes,
also for woman’s chorus.
Some listeners might be wonder why Holst’s solar system has
just seven planets. He decided not to include Earth, which lacked
the astrological mysticism attached to the other planets. As for
Pluto, it had yet to be discovered at the time. However, in 2000
the British composer Colin Matthews wrote an addendum to The
Planets, and today many performances include the outer-most
orb as a coda to this famous suite.
Program notes by Kurt Loft, a freelance writer and
former music critic for The Tampa Tribune.