Essay Sample on Holst's Planets: A Celestial Journey of Mythology and Music

Introduction

The planets is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916 (Leelasiri, 2001). Gustav composed songs according to planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Each musical section represented a mythological figure (Williams, 2013). I attended the Holst The Planets concert in Chicago Symphony Orchestra on November, 24. The popularity and fame of Holst The Planets motivated me to attend the show and get the firsthand information about the piece. Being a music student, attending the concert served to expand and supplement my knowledge of the music industry. Each song in the Planets had its performers which ensured quality work was presented. The performers appeared so captivating such that an individual could not resist but wait for the real concert to take place. Instruments used during the show to perform the songs include piano, violin, trumpets, trombones, tubas and timpani. The performance used a piece of slow instrumental music, repetitive but gentle and soothing patterns to complement one's space and to develop a feeling of calmness. The lightings used on the stage portrayed composure of the performance. I was relaxed and ambitious at the start of the concert. My expectations were for the performance to be enjoyable and educative.

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Mars, the bringer of war, was the first song to be presented. This music piece does not contain honour, valiance and disaster. The high rhythms and wavelike drum beats give this music a military feel. The second piece was Venus, the bringer of the peace. Venus followed Mars because the contents are in contrary to what Mars portrays. The music is full of beautiful melodies composed by the violin in addition to other instruments on the stage. Mercury, the winged messenger, was played as the third. The presentation was the shortest amongst the seven planet pieces. Two simultaneous keys and rhythms are observed in this song. Jupiter, the bringer of happiness, presents joy and humour. The song is performed by a multiple of performers whose sense of tune and use of instruments invokes the presence of good spirits. Saturn, the bringer of old age, presents a mood of reconciliation, acceptance and consequent serenity. As the name suggests, an elderly voice full of wisdom was heard from the trombones used. Uranus is referred to as the magician. From the name, an individual-like creature appears, performs magical demonstrations and disappears at the end of the scene. The last piece presented under the planets was Neptune, the mystic. The planet was extraordinary; thus, a mere instrument like the piano could not have been used. A string of memories slides over each other to bring the ultimate honour. The voices diminished until silence prevailed.

Among the seven planets composed by Holst, Mars, the bringer of war and Venus, the bringer of peace caught my attention. This is because they were performed consecutively, and they portrayed different themes. A combination of different instruments during performance presented well the subject of war and fighting in the music genre. The sounds used, which are from trombone and a trumpet with the addition of horns, makes it full of criticism. Saxophones were also used which dragged the music far away from happiness and sweet moments. The instruments were also played at a very high speed such that an individual was left with only the choice of paying attention. There was an opening theme which started with horns. The warlike images in the song were portrayed by the use of brass instruments, march-like items, loud clashing chords and trumpet blowing. Venus, the bringer of peace, caught the audience attention because it helped in shifting the feeling from the battlefield to a peaceful and calm environment. The music starts with horns being played in soft tones to portray peace. The rhythms in this piece move smoothly depicting a sense of tranquility. Violins are also played in slow motion. The whole performance of the song is soft, calm and peaceful. The music is a total contrast of the bringer of war.

I felt overwhelmed by the performance. The instruments used in most of the songs were similar, which brought an understanding of the content. The performers had mastered the material of the music very well, and this was manifested on the way they were conducting themselves on the stage. They use body gestures to symbolize each setting, for example, during the presentation of the Mars, the bringer of war, they seemed brutal. They maintained eye contact with the audience, which motivated the audience to keep on watching because of alertness. Confidence was another character that caught the eye of the audience. The audience portrayed satisfaction by clapping and ululating during the performance. This action made the performers carry out their responsibilities full of energy as they believed they are impacting something to the audience. The only moments which did not bring joy was during the change over from one music piece to the other which bored the audience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Holst is the best composer of English music. His best piece is the Planets whereby each planet is represented with a song. The performance during the concert in Chicago symphony orchestra fulfilled my expectation of being motivated and learning from firsthand information. The best songs which caught my attention were Mars, the bringer of war and Venus, the bringer of peace as their themes were a contrast of each other and brought out deep feelings. Performances are best in the music industry as they supplement what is learned in the classroom. I had an opportunity of talking face to face with one of the performers who happened to explain to me more about performing in concerts and how I can enroll as one of them. Confidence and mastery of the needs of the audience are all that is required. In future, I would not afford to miss a concert presenting music from Holst as he is a professional artist. The content from the artist is both entertaining and educative.

References

Leelasiri, K. (2001). An analysis of Gustav Holst's The planets (Doctoral dissertation, The California State University, Northbridge).

Williams, M. F. (2013). Promoting Symphony Sustainability: A Case Study of the Houston Symphony's The Planets-An HD Odyssey Film Project (Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron).