Where to begin? To understand The Planets is to explore Gustav Holst--his character, his life, and his influences.
The Planets is Holst's best known and best loved work. And as is sometimes the case (Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker; Grainger and Country Gardens are a couple of examples), the composer grew tired of it and wished he had not wrote it.
The Planets grew out of several things happening at the same time--a visit from a friend, the London premiere of new and exciting music, and remembrances of his mother and childhood.
In the 1910s, Holst was going through what would be called a mid-life crisis. He had written his 2 Suites for Band, but they had not been performed. His first large scale work, an opera called Sita, failed to win a cash prize at a Ricordi composition competition and his other large works of the time, notably The Cloud Messenger and Beni Mora were premiered without great success. But then, in 1913, Holst received an anonymous gift which enable him to take a trip to Spain with Clifford Bax, brother of the composer Arnold Bax (who would later write the libretto to Holst's opera The Wandering Scholar). Out of this friendship grew the idea for The Planets.
See, Bax was an astrologer, and introduced Holst to astrology. This was the first event in the creation of The Planets.
The second event was the remembrances of Holst's childhood this introduction to astrology triggered. Holst's stepmother was a theosophist and Holst himself dabbled in his youth. Holst had in his library some of the works of Alan Leo, specifically The Art Of Synthesis.
In the book, Leo describes the character and characteristics of the planets as they relate to the horoscope. The main body of the book looks remarkably similar to the final titles of The Planets--the chapter on Neptune is entitled "Neptune, the Mystic".
Finally, before The Planets was written, Holst heard some new and exciting music that was causing much discussion. First, Arnold Schoenberg came to England and conducted his Five Pieces for Orchestra. Then, Stravinsky came and conducted Le Sacre du Printemps.
So let's discuss the musical influences first. As you listen to both the Schoenberg and Stravinsky, keep in mind the melodic phrasing, the key relationships, the rhythms, style, dissonances, and instrumentations. When we get to the different movements in The Planets, you will hear echoes of these pieces, as well as hints of Debussy's early piano work. In fact, Holst was so taken by the Schoenberg, that The Planets was originally titled Seven Pieces for Orchestra.
First the Schoenberg:
And now the Stravinsky:
I will also be referencing a couple of sections from Ottorino Respighi's The Pines of Rome:
Now, let's discuss the thematic material. Here are the titles of the movements:
- 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
Note the descriptions of each Planet. That's not remotely astronomical, and they don't fit in with the mythological. As you have guessed by now, The Planets is astrological in nature, with Holst describing through music the characteristics of each Planet as it relates to the horoscope. Also, the order suggests astrology as well. If the signs are listed along with their ruling planets in the traditional order starting with Aries, ignoring duplication, Pluto (then undiscovered) and the luminaries (the Sun and Moon), the order of the movements corresponds. Earth is not listed, because Earth is not a planet used in casting horoscopes and the study of astrology. One can also say that the work is also a theosophist work, especially as it relates to the Three Characteristics of Theosophy:
1. Divine/Human/Nature Triangle: The inspired analysis which circles through these three angles. The intradivine within; the origin, death and placement of the human relating to Divinity and Nature; Nature as alive, the external, intellectual and material. All three complex correlations synthesize via the intellect and imaginative processes of Mind.
2. Primacy of the Mythic: The creative Imagination, an external world of symbols, glyphs, myths, synchronicities and the myriad, along with image, all as a universal reality for the interplay conjoined by creative mind.
3. Access to Supreme Worlds: The awakening within, inherently possessing the faculty to directly connect to the Divine world(s). The existence of a special human ability to create this connection. The ability to connect and explore all levels of reality; co-penetrate the human with the divine; to bond to all reality and experience a unique inner awakening.
The work itself was premiered in 1918, under the baton of Sir Adrian Boult. It was a small affair, only for an invited audience of about 250 people. Nevertheless, Holst regarded it as the premiere, and signed Boult's score as follows:
"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."
The first complete fully public performance took place on November 15, 1920. The London Symphony Orchestra performed it under the baton of Albert Coates. It was also the first time the general public heard Neptune; The other movements had all been heard previously in incomplete performances.
Holst conducted the LSO himself, in two recorded performances of The Planets: the first was an acoustic recording made in sessions between 1922 and 1924 (now available on Pavilion Records' Pearl label); the second was made in 1926, and utilised the then-new electrical recording process (in 2003, this was released on compact disc by IMP and later on Naxos outside the United States). Because of the time constraints of the 78rpm format, the tempi are often much faster than is usually the case today.
NOTE: Astrological descriptions are taken from PsychodynamicAstrology.com
NOTE 2: All links to scores are .pdf files.
I. Mars, The Bringer Of War
The energy of Mars does not always function constructively. Often our strength and will are used to dominate others. Mars placement within the horoscope describes both the brute that we may be as well as our potential for anger.
We live our Mars when we challenge and push ourselves. A poorly integrated mars leaves us feeling weak, defeated and at the mercy of life. We may also grow frustrated and depressed. If we are possessed by Mars then we may become overly aggressive, pushy and even violent. A well integrated Mars keeps us healthy and provides us with the strength and courage to move forward in life.
Follow the music with the score here.
Of all the movements of The Planets, Mars is the most misinterpreted. People have heard its rhythm and dissonance and immediately thought of the horrors of mechanical warfare--especially the warfare of WWI. But that's not the case at all. The entire piece was finished by 1916. Holst himself was quite the hawk, and like Vaughan-Williams, wanted to enlist. However, he was found unfit due to a nervous condition in his arms and hands that hampered his manuscript writing.
This most imitated piece of music begins with the iconic rhythm in 5/4 meter. You hear echoes of the Imperial March, and all other action/dramatic movies. The main motive is nothing more than a perfect fifth up and a half step down, giving tension. The entire movement stems from those three notes.
And we also see the influence Le Sacre had on Holst in the orchestral rhythms and the sweeping dynamic changes. So we have this dual energy happening from the unending rhythm and this dissonant theme based on a tritone. At about 1:26 we have a second theme. This theme basically moves in a curve setpwise, down then up. And it moves only a short distance, keeping the tension. At about 2:10 the music climaxes then we go into a second section, featuring a duet by euphonium and trumpet in a battle of fanfares--very Star Wars like. The strings join in after a while as the themes develop. After a climax, in which we see a rapid 3/4 time and a lot of black notes crashing down, the meter changes into the next section--a 5/2 time in which the themes are augmented to give a more adagio and legato feel. The incessant rhythm is split into two separate motives--one iteration of triplets, and one of eighth notes. At about 4:24, the music reaches a climax and we have the introductory rhythm back--this time at fff, with the entire orchestra playing it. The opening themes return with great ferocity and majesty. Even the dueling fanfares by trumpet and euphonium sound more "Imperial". The movement ends inspired the way John Williams scored the final Death Star explosion scene in Star Wars--a unison note repeated at different rhythm. Only Mars ends with a solid note that doesn't die off in intensity or volume, rather it increases.
Venus, The Bringer of Peace
After the unnerving experience that is Mars, Venus is a welcome contrast--the opposite of Mars astrologically.
The placement of Venus within the horoscope describes our charm as well as our personal tastes and style. Venus also characterises how we socialise and enter into relationship. She also influences how we express affection. We live our Venus as we seek to enjoy ourselves. A well balanced expression of Venus keeps us happy and engaged in life.
View the score here
It begins with a gentle solo horn, followed by woodwinds. At about :50, we hear a common motive throughout the entire work. We hear an alternating ostinato of two chords. It appears in several of the movements. Sometimes it's on every beat, sometimes it's longer and encompasses a greater theme. The chords may modulate into different keys, but they continue to alternate. For instance, at 1:47, the chords are longer than the ones we hear earlier. I mentioned some of Holst's influences earlier. He was also greatly influenced by Debussy. This movement is very Impressionistic and reminiscent of Debussy. The melody lines are shorter phrases, and the chord progressions become almost melodic. The chords are lush, with many ninths and elevenths. As the movement progresses, it shifts in mode, going from more of a minor mode with some tension, to the end, where a gorgeous major appears with violins in harmonics supplying the chords--a Mahler style suspended sixth chord. A morendo al fine (die out to the end) completes the movement, with the chord so very soft.
Mercury, The Winged Messenger
Mercury reflects the mind's capacity to gather, assimilate and distribute knowledge and information. He describes how we learn, think and communicate.
Mercury has a duplicitous nature. As well as being the messenger and guide, he is also the trickster. Psychologically speaking our mind can plays tricks on us. Often the way we think will cloud rather than clarify our perception and judgement. Mercury's astrological placement describes our 'mental set'. And just as this mental set may serve to structure our understanding of the world, it may also limit us to a particular perspective. Mercury's placement within the horoscope describes how we may deceive and confuse ourselves.
Once harnessed, however, this deceptive capacity of Mercury may be used for one's own benefit. The clever Mercury was also the god of trade and persuasion. Mercury characterises our ability to win others around to our own point of view. Taken to the extreme he describes our capacity for deceit.
Follow along with the score:
Right away we get the character of Mercury. In a rapid 6/8 time (marked Vivace), we get eighth notes flowing up and down imitating something flitting through the air. But then at about :24 something interesting happens. For a while, we get a sort of speeded-up Mars/Venus duet, with Mars in the violas and Venus in the woodwinds. Further on, we get little rapid foreshadowings of movements to come. At 1:08, we get a new theme and new mood--from light and flitting, to slightly melancholy--almost like Scheherezade. Did I mention that Holst drew inspiration from Rimsky-Korsakov as well? This theme goes through the strings and winds and builds upon itself until the whole orchestra is playing it. However, about one minute after this section begins, in a very mercurial way, we get a return of the original mood and melody. But with a slight variation. Instead of rolling eighth notes, we have a more choppy feel, with the strings playing shorter notes--kind of like something you'd hear in a Mahler symphony. It stops at about 3:14 and we get a little celeste theme as the original motive begins to fade into the distance. The Sheherezade returns, but further away, as Mercury, ever changeful and capricious, trips off into the distance.
Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity
Jupiter is the adventurer of the gods. Psychologically he relates to the principle of expansion - be it the exploration of new opportunities or the furthering of one's mind. We live our Jupiter as we seek to explore the greater fullness of life. Life is always around the next corner. A well integrated Jupiter provides us with a confidence and enthusiasm to step out into the world. In following the call of Jupiter we are blessed with a sense of purpose and direction in life.
Follow along with the score:
This is undoubtedly most people's favorite movement. Certainly the one that gets played the most. It's the most "accessible" of the seven, to be sure, in a bright major key that just makes you feel "jolly".
The movement begins with strings, climbing to a background of sixteenth notes, setting up the horn entrance.
--Digression-- This work is written for six horns. And more horns is more better, especially if the composer knows how to write for them. Richard Strauss was a horn player. Mahler knew how to write for horns. Holst was a trombone player, so he knew (He also probably knew the old joke-how do you make a trombone sound like a French horn? Stick your hand in the bell and miss a lot of notes).
Now back to Jupiter. As I mentioned, the horns enter shortly after the strings set up the background. It's very fanfare like as the theme goes around the brass. The trumpets herald a new fanfare motive that also goes around the orchestra. These two fanfare themes herald the arrival of Someone Important. At 1:04 we have the first real melodic theme--once again in the horns. To me it suggests an entrance of someone with great bonhomie--a "Hail-Fellow-Well-Met" type. The fanfare motives return in a more gentle form beginning in the strings as we transition to the second main theme. This one is in 3/4, and is in the style of a "drinking song". It's loud, raucous, and comical. And again, the horns lead us off. This theme gets louder, faster, and wilder--as a good party will. And after a huge chord, it gets softer and we hear the fanfare motives again, beginning mysteriously, but then brightening and gentling until we reach the Chorale. One of the most famous melodies, it has been used in many places. A famous poem was set to this music and it was played at Princess Diana's wedding and at her funeral:
And there's another Country
I've heard of long ago,
Most Dear to them that Love her,
most Great to them that Know.
We may not count her Armies.
We may not see her King.
Her Fortress is a faithful Heart;
her Pride is Suffering.
And Soul by Soul and silently,
her shining Bounds increase
And her ways are ways of Gentleness
and all her paths are Peace!
We may not count her Armies.
We may not see her King.
Her Fortress is a faithful Heart;
her Pride is Suffering.
And Soul by Soul and silently,
her shining Bounds increase
And her ways are ways of Gentleness
and all her paths are Peace!
At 4:59, the recapitulation begins. It starts gently, but then grows in intensity. At 5:21 we have the full orchestra playing the opening fanfare theme. The first main theme returns at 6:01, with the horns. At 6:40, the second theme--the "drinking song" returns in a different form. It's much more delicate at first, with the oboes providing the melody. As before, it gets rowdier and rowdier until we reach the coda--a brief return of the Chorale melody followed by a crashing, triumphant climax.
Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age
Saturn is the god of Time and Boundaries. Psychologically he relates to the boundaries of the ego. Without such boundaries we would be like a ship without a hull, we would simply drown in the sea of chaos. It is Saturn that adds structure and order to our lives. Working with Saturn means embracing both ones faults and fears. Saturn reminds us that we are only human. However, through working with Saturn, and upon our limitations, we broaden our sphere of consciousness and mature as an individual.
It is important to remember that Saturn's restrictions are largely self-imposed. To a varying degree we are all conservative and hard on ourselves. Yet it is such discipline that allows us to establish ourselves and maintain a state of order in life.
We live our Saturn as we grow older and wiser.
Follow along with the score:
Of all the movements of The Planets, Holst liked Saturn the best, and said it was most indicative of his writing style.
The movement begins with alternating chords in the flutes. We've seen this before in Venus. The chords look to be diminished and half diminished chords, which are basically minor thirds stacked on each other to provide maximum tension. The melody begins at around :11 in the bass section, near the bottom of the range. The melody itself is very long and lugubrious. I was following the score and listening and I thought to myself "this is why we practice long tones". For the melody is mostly long tones. Where Holst makes this melodic is in the dynamics he uses. Anyone can play a note and hold it for a long time, but it takes a musician to make that one note into a whole melody. The alternating chords are also reminiscent of Stravinsky--the last processional in Le Sacre. More on that later. At about 1:45 the alternating chords stop. In its place we hear the low strings pluck out a walking bass line. Above it we have the low brass playing a slow march--the slow march of age towards the end. And it's getting more and more Stravinsky-esque. It builds, in a kind of "Pines of the Appian Way" style (Do you think Rhespighi was influenced by this?) This builds and develops as it shifts modes from minor to major and back again. We also, at 3:21, have the return of the alternating diminished chords on 1 and 3, with the accented march chords on 2 and 4. This becomes the melody--a plodding, relentless ticking away of Time until the End. As tension builds, the music becomes louder and more insistent, with brief moments of panic, as exampled at 4:47. With the bells ringing and the chords moving more rapidly, we hear the first slow melody. The bells fade away to the first melody, and even that fades as mortality approaches. But at 6:00 we see the acceptance of mortality, and the wisdom that Time and Age bring. Under the harp and flutes, the original long soft and slow melody returns. To me this sounds like the "Pines of the Janiculum"--gentle, peaceful and safe.
Uranus, The Magician
Psychologically Uranus represents the universal or 'higher' mind. The knowledge gained through Uranus arrives in flash of inspiration. Our intuition leads us beyond the bounds of conventional thought.
The ability to tap into this universal mind is the mark of the original thinker or Genius. It is Uranus who allows us to 'think outside the box'. The placement of Uranus within the horoscope describes our capacity for creative thought. It is here that we may break with the norm and adopt an individual approach.
We live Uranus as we seek to expand our field of awareness. A well integrated Uranus allows us to think differently, and follow our own unique path through life. In this way we may contribute to the ongoing creation of consciousness.
Follow along with the score here:
Well, that's an ominous beginning, isn't it. It seems that every cheesy villain entrance or dramatic pronouncement in movies has a variation of that in its soundtrack. At about :22, the bassoons begin a bouncy motive, reminiscent of Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice. But this is no Mickey Mouse magician. The bassoons keep the theme going, eventually to be joined by the strings and upper woodwinds. The "dramatic" opening motive returns under this moving theme. At about 1:05, the bassoon starts with a different motif in the same manner, but this time in a brighter major key. The orchestra builds on that, until we reach 1:36, where the horns enter with a loud and brash theme--a jig like dance. But all to soon, the movement stops, and we return to the dark beginning. As the tuba, contrabassoon, bassoon, and timpani echo that dark opening, all of a sudden, we hear high woodwinds in a frantic tumble downward to a big crash of the low brass with the dramatic opening motive. At which point, the timpani takes over and begins a march like rhythm. We then get the low brass playing a march theme at 3:00. It too sounds like a quicker version of "Pines of the Appian Way". Of course, the original motive eventually makes an appearance in the timpani and low brass. At 4:05 the full orchestra is playing the march. Near 4:30, the theme starts breaking into pieces with two note fragments being tossed around as the action gets louder and louder until it hits a peak note then immediately fades. With the upper strings playing very soft--and only a couple of stands of each playing, the harp, timpani, and bassoons and low woodwinds return to the beginning motives--the slow and dramatic played in the harp, and the original bassoon theme comes in at its bouncy tempo. However, this is short lived because the dramatic returns only this time, the full orchestra responds with a jarring chord. And it repeats itself and gets softer as we fade into the distance, with only a solitary harp ending the movement.
Neptune, The Mystic
Through Neptune we gain the ability transcend our individual selves and experience the greater unity of life. The ability to work with such a vision is the mark of the Mystic.
Neptune's placement in the charge points to where we look to experience the sublime. He we look to both loose and discover ourselves. At its best Neptune characterises our spirituality. At worst it describes our tendency to self-delusion and compulsive behaviour.
The force of Neptune may be at work in the creative artist be they a poet, musician, story-teller or painter. Neptunian art is visionary, and provides us all with a glimpse of undiscovered worlds. The visionary artist opens up a into a new and greater world experience.
Neptune's placement also points to our capacity for devotion and self-sacrifice. It is here that we look to live beyond our own interests, and offer up our selves to the greater good. Neptune describes the Saviour in each of us.
We live Neptune when we open ourselves to the whole of life. A well integrated Neptune allows us to go beyond ourselves and devote ourselves to life's greater purpose.
Follow along with the score here:
Bracketing Mars, this is the other movement in 5/4 time. Remember way back at the beginning of the diary when I talked about alternating chords? This movement is one big set of alternating chords. And use of alternating chords like this is to build tension and restlessness. We want the chords to resolve, but they keep going back to the other. It's a bit unsettling, and can be hypnotic. After all, the word Planet comes from the word meaning Wanderer. And as we get further from Earth, the planets do wander. We begin with flutes. The first measure lays out the chords. The first 3 beats are one chord, the next 2 are another. This is treated also with regards to themes. The first theme--the first chord, you might say--begins somewhere around :40, with the oboe taking the solo. After this brief interlude, the flute motive comes back, this time with an extended eighth note run giving the impression of gentle waves. At 1:38, the trumpets play one of those long tones that becomes a melody while the strings are doing noodles underneath. We get more alternating chords, and we hear the celeste moving up and down the keyboard. Still in that "first chord" key. It builds gently until the entire melody are these chords with the celeste and harp doing runs suggesting waves. And everything still has the same tonality. At around 3:35, we get our first big change. The melody is upward moving, as if on a conveyor. And at around 4:00, the choirs enter. This piece was written for two female 3 part choirs. They were to be placed in an adjoining room with the door open. The choirs sing one sustained note, while the clarinet produces the first real melody of the movement--still in that first tonality. At 4:26, the violin enters with an echo of that same melody, but in a new tonality. At 4:45, the first tonality sort of returns--the choir enters with melodic material in a different key from the rest of the orchestra. The choir is singing a simple melody, but each part is doing it at different times. The result is a weaving melody that's very hypnotic. At 5:41, the choir melody stops on a dissonant chord, much like the beginning. The choir enters with the flutes and the strings, as they do more alternating chords. Everything fades and the choirs are left alone at the last measure. Here is Holst's instructions to the choir:
The Chorus is to be placed in an adjoining room, the door of which is to be left open until the last bar of the piece, when it is to be slowly and silently closed. The Chorus, the door, and any Sub-Conductors that may be found necessary, are to be well-screened from the audience.
So, what we have is the first real "fade out" ending. The note at the very bottom of the last page of the score says this about the last measure:
This bar to be repeated until the sound is lost in the distance.
Meaning the piece only ends when the sound stops--it could be sooner, it could be later.
Now, all you purists must turn away. Because the story of The Planets doesn't end here.
In 2000, the Hallé Orchestra commissioned the English composer Colin Matthews, an authority on Holst, to write a new eighth movement, which he called "Pluto, the Renewer". Dedicated to the late Imogen Holst, Gustav Holst's daughter, it was first performed in Manchester on 11 May 2000, with Kent Nagano conducting the Hallé Orchestra. Matthews also changed the ending of "Neptune" slightly so that movement would lead directly into "Pluto" However, we all know Pluto got "declassified", so there's no need.
But here it is anyway. Make of it what you will in the comments.