Gustav Holst - The Planets

[Lethevich]

In my opinion, not only is it an inspired concept, it's also packed full of superb themes and according to many who have studied the scores, also full of subtlety (this was brought up in the recent Planets Mystery Orchestra thread). IMO a superbly executed masterpiece, a real joy to listen to.

Anyone dislike it for reasons other than overexposure?

[PerfectWagnerite]

I don't dislike it. I just find it not that interesting. It has never grabbed my attention, certainly doesn't do it for me the same way Ma Vlast does.

[sound67]

It's a great work, full of brilliant ideas, superbly orchestrated. If only it didn't overshadow some of Holst's other fine works, such as Hammersmith, Invocation, A Somerset Rhapsody, Egdon Heath, The Hymn of Jesus, Beni Mora etc..

Thomas

[mahlertitan]

great work, and prophetic too, it seemed he knew more about planets than most astronomers in his day...

[Mark]

It's a great work, full of brilliant ideas, superbly orchestrated. If only it didn't overshadow some of Holst's other fine works, such as Hammersmith, Invocation, A Somerset Rhapsody, Egdon Heath, The Hymn of Jesus, Beni Mora etc..

Thomas

Agreed.

[bhodges]

I love The Planets, and these days, you don't seem to see it all that often in the concert hall.  (Perhaps that's different in the UK.) 

I was trying to recall what version I heard growing up, and can't, although it was most likely Boult, but my favorite version for awhile has been with Dutoit and Montréal.  They really characterize the various sections quite well, and the sonics are still impressive, even after some 25 years.  (Hard to believe this recording is actually that old.) 

Just this weekend I finally heard Levine and Chicago, and liked it quite a bit.  The Chicago brass really shone in "Jupiter," and the women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus were about as ethereal as you could want in "Neptune."  I love this comment from a guy on Amazon:

The powerful, brassy sound other reviewers have spoke of is obvious here and it works perfectly. My only gripe is not really a bad thing. The dynamic range on this disc is tremendous. I often am forced to listen to music at levels which won't get me evicted from my apartment.

--Bruce

[hornteacher]

I've both heard it live and performed it live.  It is a fantastic work and a great exercise in orchestral coloring.  Overexposure doesn't make it any less great.  However, it is unfortunate that other excellent pieces by Holst are often overshadowed.  The fault does not lie with the music or the composer, it lies with us.

[beclemund]

Would Star Wars be what it is without The Planets?

[Mark]

Would Star Wars be what it is without The Planets?

Quite. I've often thought this.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Would Star Wars be what it is without The Planets?

The same way it is with The Planets, a worthless piece of trash.

[mahlertitan]

The same way it is with The Planets, a worthless piece of trash.

mm, the only place on the earth where you can make that statement and not get hurt.

[knight66]

mm, the only place on the earth where you can make that statement and not get hurt.

I don't know, he is probably safe to say it in the baby food isle in Tesco supermarket. But it would not make it any more of a sensible statement.

I heard part of it on radio last week conducted by Malcolm Seargeant. It sounded wonderfully fresh and exciting.

Mike

[max]

Trash is the last thing I think of when listening to The Planets. It's not about the planets anyway. It's about the Roman Gods named for the planets in which Jupiter gets the biggest piece of real-estate in the solar system and clearly the most popular and soaring theme.

As for Ma Vlast, that is a work which The Planets can never equal.

[M forever]

What a strange idea, to compare Ma Vlast and The Planets, two completely different pieces which have nothing in common except that they are both (in a way) orchestral suites with a programmatic background. Although The Planets is really more a suite while Ma Valst is a cycle. But anyway, I don't see any reason or any point in comparing them.

Seen by itself, I think The Planets is indeed a stunningly inventive and well written orchestral piece. Yes, there is quite a bit of copy and paste going on, but in a very general, stylistic way, not in a simple "borrowing" way, and it is all integrated very seamlessly into an unique compositional style. It is also extremely detailed in the scoring and just very fluently written, not "stitched" together.

[vandermolen]

Which is the "best" Planet?

My favourite is Saturn the Bringer of Old Age.

[sound67]

The same way it is with The Planets, a worthless piece of trash.

Nor is Star Wars: YOU go ahead and write 120 minutes of orchestral music in two weeks!

The later "Empire Strikes Back" may be a better score (in fact, it's a superb one), but the original Star Wars put symphonic music in films back on the map singlehandedly.

[71 dB]

Would Star Wars be what it is without The Planets?

Well, Holst isn't John Williams' only influence. Star Wars has a lot music that does not sound Holst (I'd even say the music of Star Wars saga has more Elgar influences than Holst) and JW has done many non-Holstian scores (e.g. the Oscar-winning score for Jaws).

[Lethevich]

Which is the "best" Planet?

My favourite is Saturn the Bringer of Old Age.

Neptune for me - I like Venus a lot as well, but I tire of it faster than the strange Neptune movement.

[Renfield]

Well, Holst isn't John Williams' only influence. Star Wars has a lot music that does not sound Holst (I'd even say the music of Star Wars saga has more Elgar influences than Holst) and JW has done many non-Holstian scores (e.g. the Oscar-winning score for Jaws).

As far as Star Wars goes, I'd rank Holst, Mahler and Stravinksy as the "top three" influences, in terms of melody. Wagner in terms of style, and indeed more than a little Elgar in certain "textures". But I haven't relistened to the complete soundtrack for quite some time, so I might recognise others in there too, if I give it a go now.

Influences or not, though, it's a fantastic soundtrack: or a fantastic medley, take your pick.


On topic, yes, The Planets is definitely a masterpiece, in my opinion. It's doesn't "shout" genius as other pieces might, but it is a most inspired orchestral (and choral) composition, nonetheless. And very different from Ma Vlast... Possibly the "pop" factor, connecting them?

[Rabin_Fan]

Which is the "best" Planet?
My favourite is Saturn the Bringer of Old Age.

My favourites are Mars & Jupiter.