Les Planètes

Description

Holst wrote his planetary portraits, “seven pieces for large orchestra,” between 1914 and 1916, while he was Director of Music at St Paul’s Girls’ School, just outside London. Seven Planets? With characters inspired by astrology rather than astronomy or mythology: “No connection should be seen here with the deities of classical mythology bearing the same names. To guide the listener, the subtitle of each piece will be deemed sufficient, especially if taken in a broad sense. For example, Jupiter brings gaiety in its ordinary meaning, but also a more ceremonial rejoicing, associated with religions or national festivals. Saturn brings not only a physical change but also a vision of fulfillment. Mercury is the symbol of the mind, etc.” Adrian Boult was the first to unveil several movements in 1918, but the work as a whole was premiered by Albert Coates with the London Symphony on November 15, 1920. – Mars – The Bringer of War. Nothing heroic, simply the terror of modern war described by a diabolical orchestral machine. The 5/4 rhythms and dissonances form a precipitate of violence with astonishing realism. – Venus – The Bringer of Peace. Away with brass and percussion: an atmosphere of clear calm anticipates the infinities of Neptune. Venus reflects people endowed with an “even temperament.” – Mercury – The Winged Messenger. Written with great virtuosity for the woodwinds, this scherzo, like Mars, makes use of bitonality to create a remarkably nebulous atmosphere. Brief accents, soaring rhythms: it is the quickness of thought that Mercury has bestowed on those under his influence. – Jupiter – The Bringer of Jollity. A lively, syncopated dance. Holst brings us back to earth, and celebrates “the abundance of life and vitality” with music that is “cheerful and full of hope.” – Saturn – The Bringer of Old Age. Flutes and harps play a slow, dark ostinato. Holst reuses material from a vocal work, Dirge and Hymeneal (“Alas, alas, here is the hour of death”), where the repeated chords represent the inexorable approach of old age. – Uranus – The Magician. Fabulous in invention, it is the most eccentric piece. Its four-note motif is the musical transposition of GuStAve Holst (G-S-A-H). This magician, cousin to Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, disappears in smoke (from fff to ppp in a few measures). Could it be the composer? – Neptune – The Mystic. A study in pianissimo. Holst requires the sound to be suggested softly (“sempre pp throughout”) and evokes the planet’s halo through undulating motifs (harp, celesta, violins). The piece ends with the vocalises of a women’s choir placed offstage, which slowly fade away.