Gustav Holst - Ode to Death (1919)

Composer: Gustav Theodore Holst (September 21, 1874 – May 25, 1934)
Chorus: London Symphony Chorus
Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia conducted by Richard Hickox

0:00 Adagio - Come lovely and soothing death
2:06 Animato - Prais'd be the fathomless universe
3:23 Allegro moderato - Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet
4:34 Poco animato - Approach strong deliveress
5:40 Allegro moderato - From me to thee glad serenades
6:34 Adagio - The night in silence under many a star
8:55 Andante - Over the tree-tops I float thee a song

[Cmaj]

0:01 Adagio - Come lovely and soothing death
2:06 Animato - Prais'd be the fathomless universe
3:23 Allegro moderato - Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet
4:34 Poco animato - Approach strong deliveress
5:40 Allegro moderato - From me to thee glad serenades
6:34 Adagio - The night in silence under many a star
8:55 Andante - Over the tree-tops I float thee a song

[sauron]

Tolkien didn't care for a lot of classical music...but he LOVED Holst work.The composer to the films wisely choose Holst as a primary influence.

[lapillus]

I watched this video 3 years ago after I had gotten out of the psych ward for a suicide attempt after being in an abusive relationship. I was living with my parents at the time, and they took my phone away, so I listened to this song on my laptop. I knew the soothing feeling of death, and despite having that taken from me, I didn't feel sad that it was gone. It was like going on a long walk, away from home. I revisit this video, not because I want to be reminded of that feeling, but because I want to be reminded of how far I've crawled, walked, ran. One day, I will return home, but there is still so much I need to discover first. Thank you.

[theclarinetjooddsandends]

i often imagine Death as à calm old person with à sad and soft smile. the beginning of this work fits it very well.

[ThMarz]

I'm so glad there's some Holst that isn't the planets, it makes me very happy!

[Hailstormand]

Well, I hope I the ghost of Holst isn't angry with me anymore. I found something that is utterly beautiful.

[MegaCirse]

This music unfolds like a picture book full of stars, where birds come spinning, spinning farandoles, cracking rattles and dancing wizards. The arrangements display their mystery, the voices fill with fervor and the instruments have the roundness and brilliance of chimes :-)

[manonwolf]

Wow, that's incredible ! I have to confess that all I knew from Holst was The Planets, but this is absolutely amazing ! Thank you for making me discover this masterpiece :)

[alexvanpelt]

That last chord is the most serene note of music I've ever experienced.

[openmusic]

Wow it is amazing you can hear a lot of the modern choral composers in this: Rutter, Whitacre, Gjelio, Lauridsen, I could go on!

[davidrehak]

Gustav Holst:Óda a halálhoz Op.88
1.Come lovely and soothing death (Gyere szép és nyugtató halál, Adagio) 00:00
2.Prais'd be the fathomless universe (A dicséretes univerzum lett, Animato) 02:06
3.Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet (Sötét anya mindig lágy lábakkal közeledik, Allegro moderato) 03:23
4.Approach strong deliveress (Megközelítés erőteljes mentesítéssel, Poco animato) 04:34
5.From me to thee glad serenades (Tőlem örömmé váló szerenádok, Allegro moderato) 05:34
6.The night in silence under many a star (Az éjszaka csendben, sok csillag alatt, Adagio) 06:34
7.Over the tree-tops I float thee a song (A fák fölé úszok neked egy dalt, Andante) 08:55
Londoni Szimfonikus Kórus
City of London Sinfonia
Vezényel:Richard Hickox

[MrBruno]

8:38 is probably one of the most beautiful two measures of music I have ever heard

[samuelbanstan]

Thank you so much for uploading the score and music! It helps to study the pieces that you upload. Much appreciated!

What a gorgeous piece ! thanks for this sharing !

[BenjaminStaern]

8:05, that chord is so beautiful! Really moving moment.

[Sideybhai]

Genius!! What a Melodic way to is good when life is the price!!

[peztopher]

The lyrics are part of a poem (When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, 1865) by Walt Whitman, an elegy to Abraham Lincoln. Holst admired Whitman and used the words here to honor his friends who died in WWI.

[r.i.p.volodya]

Another lovely piece by Holst I did not know...

[jimhall]

Even though there is no mention of death as the necessary event in leaving this life entering the next, I cannot listed to this in any other way. The sheer glistening beauty of this piece is astounding, and the peace expressed in the last measures to me signify that one has experienced death and is at the portal of Heaven.

[knightfuryproductions]

We did this for our pre-show this year