Now, I am no fan of Gustav Holst, but who could turn down free symphony
tickets? We walked the streets of Dashiell Hammet's San Francisco,
ducking into Sam Spade's favorite restaurant, John's Grill on seedy
Ellis Street for a bite to eat first. Two martinis later, I was steeled
for a night of cymbals, gongs and discord. I was ready for the
planets. We stepped carefully through the dark streets, eyes darting
left and right -- looking for danger. No signs of the ghost of Brigid
O'Shaugnessy, so we walked the mile or so to the Symphony Hall.
We slipped into our seats. We looked at the program. After a great
program of Messiaen and Mozart and intermission came the planets. The
Planets, Suite for Large Orchestra, Opus 32, that is. The astronomer in
me chuckled. The symphony program had the planets in the wrong order!
Celestially correct, but that's not how Holst wrote the darn thing, and
not the way the planets are played out musically. Holst, the nervous
vegetarian turned astrologer locked himself in a sound-proof room where
temperatures reached inhuman highs to write these astrological and
mythological themed character pieces in 1914 through 1916. Gods and
monsters clash. Magicians bumble and sprites dance. There are no red
spots, icy rings, or methane clouds. No impact craters or moons or
atmosphere. This music is not about our planets.
Now without further ado, I present my observing report of the planets as
I saw and heard them.
Mars - this piece is not about dust, ice caps and volcanoes. It's about
mechanical warfare -- as depicted in a fast allegro of hopelessness and
depression. This is the music of death, bullets and bombs. I am
thankful that poison gas was not invented yet when Holst wrote this one
in 1914 -- his first planetary tone poem. Mars, the bringer of war is
the full title of this movement. Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror) have
a place here in the world of mythology and astrology and in my
interpretation of the music. Bass and brass in 5/4 rhythm kept me on
the edge of my seat, much like the scratching of fingernails on a
chalkboard. Musically, timpani, snares, strings droned on like marching
men, and the ubiquitous cymbals and gongs seemed to paint an
impressionistic musical war. I think that Holst succeeded in his
expression of war. It is indeed stupid and horrifying.
Venus - in astrology Venus restores peace and harmony after Mars messes
everything up. The only good news is the lovely cello and violin solos
in this segment, a slow and soft adagio. Pastoral harps and flutes
helped some. And how about a musical instrument called a celesta for
this early space(y) music. There it was, a piano looking instrument of
steel bars that deliver bell like tones. It was in the back row of the
orchestra right next to the bells and other big noisemakers. I looked
around for Luke Skywalker. I wondered if a laser show was next.
Mercury - now I actually liked this one! Mercury, the winged messenger
was the counterpart of Hermes, god of cattle, sheep and vegetation.
Astrologers see Mercury as a thinker. The scherzo, swift and roaming,
quick and playful made me think of Mercury the planet, not Mercury the
deity. And it was short! Maybe that's why I liked it the most!
Jupiter - is the one planet piece that everyone recognizes. It resounds
with the noise of Jupiter, the god of thunderbolts striking terror in
the English countryside. There're folk tunes mixed with space music
here. Jupiter, wrote the critic in the local morning newspaper, "is
like an intergalactic news bulletin from Dorsetshire". The critic from
the other paper wrote "A roast beef and Yorkshire pudding tune that
Holst recycled from English hymns". Many years later, this piece had a
lovely poem added to it, and was played at a famous (yes, that one)
royal wedding. Three more planets to go.
Saturn - Holst's favorite piece of all. This was my least favorite. It
is stoic, slow and lethargic. In astrology, Saturn represents man's
time on earth, and this piece focuses on old age and death. This slow
adagio was punctuated with a riot of minor chords, flutes, lots of gongs
and harps. It was like a funeral dirge. I remember wondering -- if
only Holst wasn't a vegetarian, this one might have some meat in it.
Uranus - is depicted musically as the ruler of the age of Aquarius, not
the far away planet. I kept thinking about the musical "Hair" from the
Sixties. I kept wondering if the musicians would take all their clothes
off. I shuddered at this thought! This is one eccentric piece
comprised of the 4 "T"s of music. Trumpets, trombones, tubas, finishing
with timpani - two full sets of the big brass bowled drums were needed
to make the musical end-point. This piece sounded constipated to me.
Neptune - mystic and mysterious - is the astrologers connection to the
otherworld. This piece also had a lot of dissonance, slow meters, mixed
meters, harps, celesta, and a chorus of unseen women singing wordless
melody. "Oh, when will it end," I wrote in my notebook. The symphony
program tells us that Neptune is invisible to the naked eye. I think it
was trying to hide from Holst!
My favorite piece of all was Pluto. Undiscovered at the time The
Planets was written, it was mercifully absent from this Opus. I
thanked the heavens above for this small favor.
Jane (who really likes classical music and vegetarians, just not these
ones)
-- Jane Houston Jones San Rafael, CA jane@No-Spam http://www.whiteoaks.com