Episode 6: The Planets by Gustav Holst

In a galaxy far, far away...a school music teacher called Gustav Holst blew everyone's minds away.

Like, share, leave your comments and support us on PATREON! 👇

MUSIC CREDITS:

Composer: Gustav Holst
Work: The Planets, Op.32
Performer: Orchestre symphonique de Montreal
Conductor: Charles Dutoit
Year: 1986
Label: Decca
Catalogue No: 4175532

With thanks to Leander Mangelsdorf for the German subtitles, and Emilia Strachevskaia.

[DartTyler]

Astrology Venus: peace & feminine beauty
Astronomy Venus: burning hell of acid rains where Sun never shines

[montibass]

I have a gig nightmare story about the planets. I performed with a symphony in a hall that didn't have a room for the choir. They decided to have the choir walk away through the wings. There were two problems.
1. The wings went out into the audience area, so they got louder.
2. Many dressed in fancy high heel shoes, even though they weren't visible. The result was a clomping sound like a herd of horses that got louder from the audiences perspective. It was not exactly what Holst was going for. :)

[crispyandspicy]

Gustav's Holst's best achievement is making the theme for every ww2 documentary for the past couple of decades

[Replicaate]

I listened to an orchestra play the entirety of The Planets at a live concert, and I felt like I'd traveled through space at the end of it all. Truly some of the most captivating music ever written.

[gpcrawford]

Holst became so infatuated with eastern mysticism that he learned Sanskrit and set some verses of the Rig Vada to music, he also composed a Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter”.

[darthvirgin]

many a young astronomer were probably inspired by Holst’s The Planets. but when it comes down to it, the music he composed served more as an interpretation of the Greek gods characterization than the planet themselves.

although it could be said that the planets’ names do aptly represent a certain characteristic of their respective god name. Jupiter being the king of the planets and gods, Mars being red, representative of fury and war. Mercury being the fastest god and planet.

[ShredmasterScott]

Most metal classical piece....I'm binging this channel muhaha

[nicklpantis]

My music teacher showed this to the class. Im was absolutely shocked to find put this much quality only had 30k views. Really good job

[AZ-tvzv]

If there's ONE THING I've learned from this, it's that Holst was a MAJOR fanboy.

I love the detail and explanations that you use! I hope that you blow up (like in views/subscribers sort of way not the other kind)

[elizabethpemberton]

I've sung in the Neptune chorus, with the Minnesota Orchestra, and it's really rather tricky. But the worst thing is knowing that the rest of the suite is being played and only getting the muted sound through the walls while you wait.

[antoniedepotter]

Great video! You deserve way more views for this quality. I reccomend posting this on the classical music subreddit, I think they will enjoy this!

[KitsuneCentral]

While the stuff about Holst not wanting to do Pluto is mostly true, I remember reading somewhere that there was a bit more to it than that. Basically, he stated something along the lines at some point, "If you want your piece for Pluto, listen to/perform "Ode to Death". It's good fit. and fits Pluto nicely."

[avihonor]

4:11 not only is Glockenspiel there, but the Celesta is as well! (I'm unsure if that was in the original version but I often see those in performances)
6:00 Yeah we can easily tell that through Saturn he loves using strange harmonies. I was once playing Saturn on piano, and there are 4-note chords with the strangest combinations of notes!
I personaly think Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter are the best ones entertainmentwise.

Also your videos are actually entertaining, so I subbed. Keep up the gr8 work!

[ActiveAura]

The Planets is my favorite piece of classical music! I remember playing Mars back in high school and cello with the high school‘s entire orchestra! Holst’s compositions really inspired me to learn music theory and composition! I even find myself using certain aspects of the Planets in my pieces!

[DanielCastillo-bobm]

I cannot tell you how much I love your videos. Thank you for taking the time to explain the background of musical pieces. After hearing them, knowing the history behind makes them million time better. Keep on the AMAZING work

[skylermccoy]

The Blasting Off sequence from Star Wars: literally Mars

[austinvoelker]

I can't believe it, a new video. I'm so glad to see you guys again. As well as on a subject that I'm trying to study on. This is some good timing right here.

[fenixphire]

Tears. Man, that was really great. Thank you for that. I’ve been using my imagination for that piece for about 25 years now. It’s incredible how close my thoughts about this piece and my imagination was to your video. Again great job and thank you

[duifb]

Thanks for opening my eyes and ears to the inspirations which Holst had, and I'd offer a few more: Mars and Stravinsky is not difficult, in Venus I can hear e.g. some Ravel, of Mercury I'm not sure, Jupiter's beginning reminds of Stravinsky's Petrouchka while much of Jupiter's "Englishness" is reminiscent of Elgar. Schönberg (in Saturn) is probably less well-known, and I also didn't know of Debussy's choir (Neptune).

But what bugs me the most is how blind (or deaf) I've been for many years, not recognizing Dukas' sorcerer's apprentice in Uranus, even though I've even played Dukas myself in an orchestra! It starts with the titles of both pieces, for crying out loud (sorcerer = magician)...

Once you know it, it's blatantly obvious: The staccato dance of the bassoons in the beginning, the dissonant menacing theme, the stumbling tympani, the avantgarde wild harmonies, the long alarm chords at the climax, the wondrous soft conclusion after that. Fortunately Holst omitted the final "butt-kick", that would have been too much ;-)

[Welsh]

The first time I listened to Jupiter I burst into tears crying, it moved me in a way music has never done before