The Planets by Gustav Holst: Mars, Venus, Jupiter | The Greenville Symphony Orchestra

Maestro Tchivzhel's Preview: 0:00 Mars, The Bringer of War: 3:52 Venus, The Bringer of Peace: 11:07 Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity: 18:33 Performed by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in 2011 at the Peace Center Concert Hall. “The Planets” Gustav Holst (1874-1934) Holst’s music owes a debt to a wide array of influences: from English folk music to American poetry, Eastern religions and astrology. It was the British composer’s avid interest in astrology that inspired his best-known work, the orchestral showpiece “The Planets” (1917). “As a rule I only study things that suggest music to me,” Holst once wrote. “Recently the character of each of the planets suggested lots to me.” The astrological associations of the planets set the mood and provide the meaning for the seven movements of “The Planets” suite, composed for a very large orchestra. Only seven planets are represented because Earth was not included and Pluto was not discovered until 1930. (In 2006, Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet.) “The Planets – An HD Odyssey,” featuring NASA video footage from the past 35 years, directs the emphasis away from astrology and toward astronomy -- to the planets themselves. This unique take on an almost 100-year-old staple of the orchestral repertoire has not failed to impress audiences wherever it has been shown. I. “Mars, the Bringer of War.” Mars has long been associated with war. The planet’s satellites are Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror). Holst’s expansive suite begins softly yet ominously with an inexorable rhythmic figure that will drive the entire first movement. The music grows in intensity and volume, with the sinister, march-like beat suggesting the approach of an army, the coming of war. The implacable rhythm, clashing dissonances, trumpet calls and snarling trombones all combine to evoke the powerful and devastating ferocity of armed conflict. II. “Venus, the Bringer of Peace.” In The Principles and Practices of Astrology, Noel Tyl writes that “when the disorder of Mars is past, Venus restores peace and harmony.” By sharp contrast to the first movement, a mood of tranquility pervades “Venus,” which prominently features the harp, woodwinds and strings. High violins offer a suave melody. An impressionistic soundscape creates a mood of serenity, suggesting to some listeners a lullaby. IV. “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.” One of the most popular movements in Holst’s suite, “Jupiter” bursts forth with energetic good spirits. Rollicking horn themes simultaneously suggest laughter and an English folk festival. The merrymaking reaches a pinnacle, then subsides to make way for a slower middle section featuring a beautiful, long-lined melody that rises higher, developing into a hymn of tremendous majesty. “Jupiter (to astrologists) symbolizes expansiveness, scope of enthusiasm, knowledge, honor and opportunity,” Noel Tyl writes. The festive music from the beginning of the movement returns to conclude the section triumphantly. -Program notes courtesy of Paul Hyde Images courtesy of NASA. animation for Mars is by Daniel Mass and Cornell University; images for Venus and the Goddard Space Flight Center. Most of the images from Jupiter were taken from both Voyager and the Hubble Telescope's missions. Be sure to watch Maestro Tchivzhel's preview, and the enjoy three movements from Gustav Holst's The Planets...all performed live by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra! https://www.greenvillesymphony.org/