jupiter, the bringer of jollity analysis jupiter, the bringer of jollity analysis

Buy song $0.99. In any event, Greene concludes that The Planets functions on a metaphoric level, presenting a succession of "mood pictures" rather than programmatic depiction. Equally anomalous, in lieu of the general tempo slowdown common with conductors over the course of long careers, Boult's five studio Planets follow no pattern; thus, for example, his Saturn swings from 8:15 in 1945, to 8:53 in 1954, to 8:24 in 1960, to 9:09 in 1967, to 8:23 in 1978. None of his further works caught much attention from colleagues or the public; although often austere and still heavily weighted toward vocal pieces, they included operas, fugal and double concertos, a choral symphony, orchestral, chamber and piano works and even a self-descriptive 1932 "Jazz Band Piece.". I truly doubt that! [O]nce these relations are established in the titles of the movements, it is easy to fall into the mood of the respective tone poems. B Theme. His career as a pianist had crashed at college when he developed neuritis so severe that he reportedly could write music only by tying a pen nib to his forefinger. Dec 24, 2010 7:00 AM. The overall tone is militaristic in sharp, percussive, insistent ostinato 5/4 time. That said, he and his orchestra produced quite a credible performance. Its focus of attention on astrology can almost certainly be credited with the renewal of interest in his orchestral suite, The Planets. But perhaps the most remarkable movement is Venus, in which Sargent adds another full minute to others' already sprawling pace to craft a feeling beyond mere wistful dreams to a lush romanticism that one would not have suspected to find within the composer's emotional arsenal. What an astonishment the Age of Aquarius would have been to Gustav Holst (1874-1934). Not only one of the very first compositions to renounce tonal anchors and modulation in favor of extensive dissonance (but prior to tone rows), it used a huge orchestra, yet deployed with discretion to create a kaleidoscope of unusual textures within a highly expressionistic set of moods. In the Arts Gazette, Dunton Green observed: "It was an injustice to the composer to rob his planetary system of the two stars whose soft light would have relieved the fierce glare of the five others." He died on 25 May 1934 in Ealing, Middlesex, London, England, UK. : Westminster Abbey I Vow to Thee My Country +2 - They played it during Princess Diana's funeral (it's her favorite hymn) and the camera zoom out from . Release [r26171738] Copy Release Code. This tri-tonal invocation is incredibly calm and it emphasises the oscillating wind and harp chords, which run throughout most of the piece. In every respect its slower pace, lighter instrumentation, supple rhythm, gently oscillating chords, restricted dynamics and soothing harmonic motion Holst's Venus provides a striking contrast to Mars (emulating a comparable shift in the Schoenberg Suite) and serves to reorient us toward a sense of human dignity that subtly evokes the qualities in Leo's attribution. Edit Release New Submission. Firstly, he is in 6/8 throughout the first half of this movement, although his grouping of notes gives different time signature feelings. This movement is incredibly exquisite and it ends the suite so delicately and I, as Im sure you all are, full of questions about why it has ended the way it has. Even within each movement, Holst does not organically develop his themes symphonically, but rather uses them to create a structure suited to the psychological character and associations of each planet. Silencing the organ, percussion, trumpets, trombones and tuba, Holst 's texture "concentrates on delicate and lucid tone colors" of woodwinds, harps, celesta and solo violin (Halbreich), creating "an essay in benignity" in which "our feet have been placed in some posture of security" (Crankshaw), "bringing to the suffering world a vision of heavenly peace" as Venus "sails softly across the evening sky, bringing with her a still, starlit repose" (James) and "the skies are soothed by a gentle benediction" (Freed). Each of the seven movements depicts the astrological qualities of a planet in the solar system. While I'm not a fan of his desiccation of the Romantics, I do value the effectiveness of his approach to the impressionists and Viennese moderns, which also works here, where the clarity of execution, crisp accents and meticulous control of dynamics create a striking sense of atmosphere in the slow movements, matched by Decca's gloriously crisp and detailed ffrr recording that highlights some unusual sonorities, including the bass oboe in the opening and husky bells in the climax of Saturn. Even as enhanced to bring out detail for its digital transfer, the recording is a bit crude and dynamic compression raises the noise floor to cloak the fragile interplay of harps and celesta in Neptune, a sorely missed effect, as Stokowski bloats the final movement to nearly ten minutes (compared to a "normal" seven or so) and thus trades its inherent gentle momentum for a far different but equally apt sense of timeless suspension. Each movement was issued singly and then together in a seven-disc album. With deep roots, both parental and musical, in England and Russia, Coates absorbed the unabashed subjective outlook of his mentor Arthur Nikisch, who reportedly told him to trade his conductor's baton for a whip. Ive worked out that the first section is in E minor, but after that point is goes between C minor, E major and Db minor. This makes the score interesting to read as some instruments will be scored in flats, others in sharps, and others with no key at all. Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the god of the sky and thunder. Program Notes. In art, Jupiter was often depicted as a bearded man with a thunderbolt in his hand. In the interim between Pluto's ascent and demise it must have seemed tempting to complete the task that Holst, by necessity, had left unfinished, while dissuaded from the heresy of tampering with the magical ending of Neptune. The middle section presents a surprising contrast -- a majestic flowing melody in 3/4 . However dark the underlying topic may be here, the music creates a stunning effect that is mesmerising to hear. The Planets: The overview. And since the British composer was distressed at the immediate success of the seven-movement work when it was introduced in 1919 - he never considered it one of his best efforts - its rebirth could only cause him further chagrin. A stately, more serious processional theme then enters, its royal dignity fully intact, after which the vigorous melody returns. The exuberance of this movement shows itself not only in its tempo and rhythm but also in the multiplicity of subjects. Boult calls it "a perfect impression of winged lightness" and its harmonic ambivalence "a wonderful sense of elusiveness as of quicksilver.". The second movement, Venus, provides us with an incredible contrast to the previous movement. Here is a score reduction and analysis of "The Planets: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity". Jupiter starts with covert excitement with a fast three-note figure played by the violins, which has been said to represent the rotation of Jupiter (as it has . Guardian Headline src url https assets.guim.co.uk static frontend fonts guardian headline noalts not hinted GHGuardianHeadline Light.woff2 http3 true format woff2 url https assets.guim.co.uk static frontend fonts guardian headline latin1 not hinted GHGuardianHeadline Light.woff http3 true format woff. He drafted it as a two-piano score during weekends in a soundproof room at St. Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith where he taught and, due to his neuritis, upon whose students he relied to perform his sketches and write out the orchestral score according to his directions. So, as the title suggests, I finally decided to take a deep dive into classical music this month. (Please understand: I'm not a musical snob beyond my recordings of serious music, I have (and enjoy!) Vernon Leidig 2nd B-flat Trumpet Part Grade: 3 Item: 00-PC-0000054_T2. Despite asthma, he had earned his living playing the trombone in a Scottish orchestra and then by teaching at a girls' school. To keep our ears interested, Holst dashes quickly between tonalities, and never quite settles down into one key. Even so, Henry Balfour Gardiner, a wealthy concert promoter who advocated British works, arranged for a private performance on September 29, 1918 with the Queen's Hall Orchestra to be led by Adrian Boult as a gift prior to Holst's departure for Salonika to arrange musical entertainment for troops. Otherwise, Boult's first outing has few unusual features. I believe the reason it feels more personal is down to the fact that Holst has integrated his first human element to this suite old age. In his preface to The Planets, Holst advised that there is no program in the pieces and that the subtitles should be sufficient to guide the imagination of the listener. Rather, he continued to work in a wide variety of styles, albeit slowed by a concussion he suffered in 1923. Apparently referring to a rapid triplet figure, Sargent envisions the planet Mars, "laughing in shouts of exultant ferocity," as it soars over the turmoil of mankind's hatred, anger, violence and destruction. The fidelity (possibly goosed in digital transfers) is markedly improved over the predecessors', displays a greater realm of textures, especially in the delicate instrumental interplay of Venus, and allows finer appreciation of the magnitude of Holst's flair for colorful orchestration. While lacking the patience or interest to attempt to hear them all (for that, please refer to the Peter's Planets site), two struck me of particular promise: Of the rest of the crop of Planets recordings, at least among those I've heard, I've especially enjoyed Steinberg/Boston (DG, 1970), Bernstein/New York (Columbia, 1970), Previn/London (EMI, 1973), Susskind/St. The idea of not using a stable ending to the end of a suite, or any orchestral piece, was a newer technique and was embraced by Twentieth-Century composers for years to come. If so, then the rest of The Planets, both psychologically and musically, can be heard as proposing various paths to redemption or, perhaps collectively, a fervent prayer that mankind would find some way to carry on by embracing our better sides. Holst: Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity (from 'The Planets') 22.00 - 28.00. Holst also very cleverly uses a cross-rhythmic hemiola (a hemiola is where 2 different time signatures at once, so at one point he has part of the orchestra in 4/4 and the rest in 6/4). The mood is unmistakably mystical and the hero may indeed imagine himself contemplating the twinkling stars on a still night.. The Planets Op.32 : VI Uranus, the Magician. Concurrent with Boult's first remake, Decca issued a competing LP that, coming at the very end of the mono era, was soon superseded by a stereo version (albeit with a different orchestra), much as Holst's acoustical set had been promptly replaced by its electrical remake. That said, all of Boult's Planets recordings are splendid except for the 1960 LP with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra which is crudely played with weak ensemble. I'm sure there are other good ones, but (unless you're a total hi-fi freak) do bear in mind Raymond Tuttle's admonition: "One senses that record companies are moved to record it again and again not because they feel that their artists have anything important to say about it, but because they want to show off the very latest development in recording technology. Thus the world was hardly prepared for the innovative and eclectic Planets, which seemingly arose from a near-void and, much to the composer's frustration, despite his variegated output came to define him as a "one-hit wonder.". Greene adds that Holst regarded planetary influence as a metaphor for various aspects of human personality and through each movement of The Planets sought to portray psychological drama within aspects of human character. The Planets Op.32 : IV Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity [I Vow to Thee, My Country] . Its first public performance took place in 1920, and it was an instant success. The Planets. In any event, benefiting from the greater range and flexibility of microphones, amplifiers and mixers, the electrical system soon rendered acoustic recordings obsolete. It seems the approach with this movement is not how much you do, its actually what you dont do as a result of this. Description: PDF Download Download: Price : Jupiter--Bringer of Jollity: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts: Macmillan is barely mentioned in the standard reference books and seems to have made very few recordings (and of those most were as an accompanist, including spirited Bach and Beethoven concertos with compatriot Glenn Gould), and so we have little basis to generalize his style. So after. By bringing together all the movements with this delicately thought-out movement, I feel that it ends in the best way possible wanting to know more. The music creates a sound world that is mystical and very well-balanced in terms of orchestration. This is soon followed by Saturn, which brings melancholy, pride and old age and this brings a human quality like no other. Sell a . C Theme. This particular melody is quick, syncopated, and full of energy. Saying this though he was said to have a soft spot for his favourite movement, Saturn. Its techniques like these that make this music sound space-age and very modern for its time. Neptune is in the far reaches of the solar system and the end of this movement is a gradual fade out, with the last thing the audience should hear is the very far away ladies choir (who have started to walk away to create the fade out effect). Add to Cart Add to List. Holst became interested in astrology through his friend (and later librettist for his opera The Wandering Scholar), Clifford Bax. Thus Greene contends that the slow tempo reflects the pace of the aged, the oscillating chords hold tonal progression in abeyance as a symbol of timelessness, the gradual accumulation of tonality suggests steady progress, and the final tune sounds cold and arid, to which might be added that the constant syncopation tempers inevitability with unease. Every artist ought to pray that he may not be 'a success.'" In doing so, he opened an entirely new world for himself." Here they outdid themselves with a space-travel motif, capped with an overflowing bustier and lurid crotch shot. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age For details on how we use cookies, see our. Boult contends that "if it is possible for a piece of music never to finish, this is what happens here" and that the prolonged diminuendo following "this tuneless, expressionless, shapeless succession of cloudy harmonies, suggesting as it does an infinite vision of timeless eternity" makes us wonder if we still hear the chorus "or only hold them in our memory, swinging backward and forward for all time." The most unconventional part of this movement, however, is Holsts use of a female choir in the latter half of the movement. Holst considered Saturn his favorite movement, perhaps in reaction to its negative press reviews or because, as Greene observes, his personality led him to identify with its traits of plodding perseverance, diffidence, apathy and endurance, all of which are reflected in the musical grammar. The music is relatively simple, but the way that Holst manipulates, orchestrates and colours the themes make this movement incredibly exciting. These bursts also give an insight into the military feel as you can often hear fanfares from the brass section. Matthew, Colin: "Holst" article in Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, eds., Matthews, Colin: notes to the Elder/Hall CD (Hyperion CDA 67270, 2001), Mullenger, Len: "HOLST Suite: The Planets" article on the, Reid, James: An Astronomers Guide to Holsts, Sargent, Malcolm: notes to his BBC LP (Capitol SG 7196, 1958), Schoenberg, Arnold [quoted in a Los Angeles Philharmonic, Trippett, David: "A Biography of Gustav Holst, Part 3: 1915-1928" article on the, Tuttle, Raymond: review of Judd/Royal Philharmonic Denon CD in, Ward, Benjamin [? Halbreich calls its beauty remote, as "its quiet and silvery stream of sounds unfolds without the slightest hint of any earthly sentiment. All of these different quirks creates this exciting, fast-paced movement which is slotted in near the middle of the suite (which correlates with it being written last in 1916). Halbrick notes that the form moves from tightly structured to more open-ended. The swelling brass and slow waltzing strings are met with moments of poignant beauty in the glorious tune now known as 'I Vow to Thee My Country'. By Phil Plait. Track: Track 1 - Acoustic Guitar (nylon) Difficulty (Rhythm): Last edit on: 2/22/2011. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity by Patrick Gleeson, Joybringer by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Call Any Vegetable [Edited- Hybrid Concert] by Frank Zappa & Cruisin' For Burgers [ZINY 40th. Geoffrey Crankshaw paints Holst as both a visionary and a man of vast culture, such that the unique totality and universality of The Planets reflects all facets of his protean makeup. Your email address will not be published. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity By far the most accessible of the movements, Jupiter is an unabashed celebration of life, fortune and hope in a multitude of forms. The Planets Op.32 : VII Neptune, the Mystic. Jupiter--Bringer of Jollity (from The Planets) By Gustav Holst / arr. Uranus, the Magician Reflecting the astrological realm of eccentricity and the occult, Holst's Uranus has been compared to Dukas's 1897 Sorcerer's Apprentice in terms of their structure, orchestration, rhythm and overall aura of comic bumbling within a serious setting, even though Boult insists that Holst had never heard it. at jwpepper.com. On a holiday in 1913 Holst became enamored of What Is the Horoscope and How Is It Cast, one of several books in which Alan Leo attempted to popularize, modernize and systematize astrology as a scientific practice concerned with the delineation of character rather than prediction. It is the fifth planet from the sun and is another gas giant. VIDEO COMMENT Holst's "Jupiter" +9 - As long as it's played well it sounds amazing on anything: : Gustav Holst - A Fugal Overture (1922) +3 - Holst didn't write a movement for Earth, but the Fugal Overture would be an interesting insertion . Karajan's was the only other Planets (aside from Boult and Sargent remakes) to emerge during the entire decade of the 'sixties. David Trippett observes that The Planets's popularity soared as conductors vied with each other to present local premieres; one such dispute was settled when orchestras in Chicago and New York agreed to introduce The Planets to North America on the same night. The astrologers say that Jupiter brings power, wealth, high position, fatherhood, ownership everything big. In short, this movement reveals Holst as the gutsy risk-taker that he was. Subscribe to Plus. Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys. Gustav Mahler Symphony No.2: Movement III, Gustav Mahler Symphony No.2: Movement II, Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.2 Genesis & Movement I, Ralph Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite: Memorable Melodies, Alexander von Zemlinksy Symphony No. Rapidly ascending scalar motion. Jupiter, in particular, careens amid super-charged tempos that the orchestra delivers with electrifying accuracy (but after all, it was used to Toscanini) and Uranus thrills as instruments jostle for attention. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity - By far the most accessible of the movements, Jupiter is an unabashed celebration of life, fortune and hope in a multitude of forms. While critics at the time seemed divided along a predictable generational divide, one enthused that: "Holst might have really dug it." "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity," is the most thoroughly English section of the work, with Jupiter's high spirits projected through a broad, infectiously energetic melody. Holst composed The Planets over a course of two years, beginning in the summer of 1914 with Mars and continuing through the other movements in order, except for Mercury which he wrote last. Within the basic tempos Imogen calls his beat "clear and unfussy. The Planets is best known for his orchestral composition. Composed By - Gustav Holst; Notes. Most tempos are inflated the unhurried Venus and Saturn are considerably slower while the fleet Mercury and Jupiter are faster. Rare enough in Western music, Holst's rhythm is neither the smooth "loping waltz" of the Tchaikovsky "Pathetique Symphony" nor the teasing bounce of Paul Desmond's "Take Five" nor even the urgent thrust of Ginger Baker's "Do What You Like." 32 between 1914-1916. Uranus is perhaps my least favourite, but all the same its still a great piece of music and I feel like it does fit well into the mixture of movement Holst has written. Imogen emphasized that "clarity was his watchword," that "he never could understand slovenly workmanship" and "though his music dwells in mystical regions yet it is never indefinite or shadowy." The composer, a man of intellect and wide-ranging interests, found musical inspiration in diverse places. Tempos in Mars and Jupiter are significantly slower than with Holst or Coates, imbuing these movements with a deeper sense of drama (albeit at the expense of driven resolve) and in doing so elevates them yet further above the realm of standard program music. - 7/10 2 4 6 8 10 (6) - 5182 View PDF typeset by editors Alaric (2022/1/14) General Information Categories: Recordings Pages with First Editions Scores published by Goodwin & Tabb While taking full responsibility for the musical judgments, I've done no independent research and gratefully acknowledge the following sources for the facts and quotations in this article: Boult, Sir Adrian: notes to his New Philharmonia LP (Angel S 36420, 1967), Crankshaw, Geoffrey: notes to the Marriner/Concertgebouw LP (Philips 950042, 1978), Foreman, Lewis: notes to the Elder/Hall CD (Hyperion CDA 67270, 2001), Freed, Richard: notes to the Susskind/St. Using the new technology, Holst and the London Symphony rerecorded The Planets (plus Mercury's companion "Marching Song") between June and November 1926 (and, interestingly, he reverted to the faster tempo of the first acoustical Saturn). This bombastic, heavy march theme is heard a fair bit throughout this movement and is often interrupted by the first four-note fanfare theme. To add to this, the whole movement is ambiguous in terms of tonality, with a lot of it being modal as there seems to be a void where typical harmonic progressions would be found; this includes parts of this hymn theme section. 6. Jupiter - The Bringer of Jollity The fourth movement of the suite, Jupiter is perhaps the most famous of them all, especially the main theme that is heard in the middle of the movement. You can count four, five or six of them, depending on whether you divide the first two into their component parts - they do behave like independent themes. Holst's love of English folk song and dance is readily demonstrated here. Yet while largely akin to the composer's own recordings in their dearth of personal interpretive quirks, their basic tempos diverge significantly. Whatever path you may take it does not take away from the fact that the music has gone into complete turmoil for a section of this piece. "And then," he concluded, "recently the character of each planet suggested lots to me.". Apparently it was successful, as they returned in August 1923 for Venus, Uranus and Mercury (plus the "Marching Song" from Holst's Songs Without Words as a backing for Mercury, which fit on a single side) and completed the cycle with Mars in October, Neptune in November and Saturn in February 1924. Heard today both versions startle immediately with their sheer overall speed in comparison to modern recordings which tend to dwell around 50 minutes, the total timing of the first set is 44 and the remake is a mere 42 (largely due to a much more animated Venus). Louis LP (Turnabout QTV-S 34598, 1974), Holbreich, Harry: notes to the Herrmann/London Philharmonic LP (Decca Phase 4 Stereo PFS 4184, 1970), Holst, Imogen: notes to the Holst/London Symphony reissue LP (HMV Treasury HLM 7014, 1972). The Planets, Op. Underneath this, the double basses play a slow and expansive theme which grows into fruition slightly later in the movement. The turmoil of the previous movement is seamlessly soothed away by the dulcet sounds of this movement, which is just so peaceful. With Mars bringing masculinity and forcefulness to the forefront, Holst was able to paint a really vivid picture of war and the consequences of war. Holst bounces through keys creates a fresh and exciting sound, which contrasts again to the previous movement. The suite was written between 1914 and 1916, with it still, even after 100 years, being one of the most recorded and well-loved orchestral works (especially within Holst repertoire). John Marsh Although it has since become a clich to depict outer space, Holst's inspired final touch is two wordless female choruses, each divided in thirds. Unlike Stravinsky, who recorded his seminal ballets only once his style had evolved radically from expressionist firebrand to detached neoclassicist, Holst began committing his Planets to disc a few years after its premiere, with the creative impulse presumably still fresh in his mind. That is just about the finest imagery of Jupiter from the ground I have ever seen! But then a sudden explosion ushers in intense activity that, according to Matthew, uses solar winds as a starting point. The work sounds just as it did when Holst used to conduct it before a Queen's Hall audience," even though she allows that by having to record each side straight through "there may be details which Holst would have liked to improve, but the performance as a whole is a magnificent achievement.". Buy Jupiter - Bringer of Jollity by Gustav Holst/arr. Or even it could musically represent the breakout of WW1 (as Holst was writing this movement in 1915). Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age 6. After the calmness of Venus, we bounce straight into the third movement, Mercury The Winged Messenger, which takes us on an exciting journey, though it is only brief, with this movement being the shortest of the seven. Holst writes this movement in 5/4 time, which gives the feeling of uncomfortable movement at times. The theme itself lingers in bitterness, its constant leaps creeping downward in minor seconds to form tritones, and its rhythm nervous, sounding as though it should fit into 6/4 time but with the fourth beat forcibly extracted. Not only does Boult's Mars run about a minute slower than Holst's, but his Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune do as well appreciable differences that raise the intriguing question as to whether interpretations that differ from a composer's own can authentically represent the composer's intentions, as Boult claims his do, and not only with respect to their tempos the very texture of Holst's Mars is aggressive whereas Boult's simply is not. Jupiter starts with covert excitement with a fast three-note figure played by the violins, which has been said to represent the rotation of Jupiter (as it has the fastest rotation of all the planets). Thus his Mars exudes a snarling menace and gallops ahead as though chased by fear, his Mercury sweeps aside any sense of polished grace as it boils over with irrepressible energy, the instruments in Jupiter fairly explode in joy as they jostle for attention, and Uranus becomes a heart-pounding march that heightens the repose of its final minute. This is heightened by the harp and celeste parts, which push arpeggios and oscillating chords throughout. Holst's work comprises seven movements, each devoted to a particular planet in our solar system (excluding the earth, the focus of the other planets' influences), beginning with the inner three but in reverse order from their distance from the sun, and then proceeding outwards through the rest. This movement was written in 1914, which does make you wonder whether this movement is a somewhat musical premonition of the war that was soon about to break out (WW1). Yet the harmonies are bitter-sweet and the themes are fragmented, suggesting that repose is at best temporary and that far more challenges remain in the human journey. 4. Billed annually at $39.99 Add to Collection Add to Wantlist. This creates a percussive sound, which is very exciting and keeps with the theme of this movement representing war. The first half is soft and rather bitter, strewn with a few reminiscences of Holst's movements, and is described by Foreman as "a pianissimo world, a mercurial scurrying of chromatic runs and scales" in which "long-held very soft pedal points, evocative orchestral color, and the shining effect of harp and celesta all add to the almost tangible pictorial effect." The premiere of The Planets was at the Queen's Hall, London, on 29 September 1918 . Flaws aside, Holst is an enormously persuasive advocate for his Planets and either set affords the incomparable thrill of eavesdropping on a composer supplementing the cold written score to infuse his creation with the essence of his personal creative spirit.