About The Planets Online
The Concert
'The Planets Op. 32' by Gustav Holst
Performed by the Auburn Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Anthony Spain
Featuring the Seattle Pacific University Women's Chorus
Choreographed visuals and lighting: 'The Planets Live' by Adrian Wyard
Sound by Bill Levey
Commentators
Music Composition: Bath Philharmonia Music Director, Jason Thornton
All others: Adrian Wyard
New commentaries will be added over time. To see what we're working on follow this link
Web Site
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Uranus is marked Allegro in 6/4 divided into dotted half beat notes in Cmajor
Uranus the Magician
The opening theme is presented as a series of 4 Fermatas (pauses)
This movement was inspired by Uranus a Greek sky god. Uranus is also associated with Aquarius
Uranus makes a bold entrance, as most magicians do
The Planet Uranus (Wikipedia)
The Planet Uranus (Wikipedia)
To date Uranus has only been visited by the Voyager 2 spacecraft
The dance begins using solo bassoons in a very similar manner to Dukas in The Sorcerers Apprentice
Uranus is tilted on its side
A playful scene
Two planets? Uranus is ‘The Magician’ after all!
Holst increases tension by increasing the density of notes per half measure
Holst uses rhythmic ambiguity with 6/4 in trumpets and 3/2 in tubas
Fun fact: Uranus smells of rotten eggs!
Use of rhythmic ambiguity with strings in 3/2 and woodwind in 6/4
Observed in antiquity Uranus was only identified as a planet in 1781
The name Uranus was not finally settled until the 1830s
Theme 2 is presented by unison strings and horns
Westerlund 2 Cluster (NASA/ESA/STSci)
The twinkling stars were added just to keep a little dynamism in the image
Return of the main theme played by bassoon and bass clarinet
Main theme set in 3/2 as apposed to 6/4
The Iris Nebula (Ermolli)
The dance starts again with a complex accompaniment
Theme 3 is first heard by tenor tuba and tuba
NGC7822 (Ermolli)
These scenes are awe-inspiring and have a magical quality
NGC4449 (NASA/ESA/STSci)
Theme 3 played by trumpets using straight quarter note rhythms
Horsehead Nebula (Ermolli)
Antares and Rho Ophiuchi (Ermolli)
NGC891 (Ermolli)
Huge orchestral rallentando (slowing down)
The animation here is showing Galaxy formation, but it has a sparkly magical quality too
A computer simulation of galaxy formation (NASA/GSFC/NCSA-AVL/O'Shea/Norman)
Final rallentando with a glissando
Homophonic string chords using just 2 desks of strings
The Carina Nebula (NASA/ESA)
Timpani play the main theme in continuing rhythmic diminution
Full orchestral dissonance
A big musical conclusion needed a flashy ending on-screen
Uranus is 20AU distant
M78 and the Horsehead Nebula (Ermolli)
Final fragment of the main theme played by 1st Harp
Again, twinkling stars keep the image alive in this very quiet section
Marked Allegro in 6/4 divided into dotted half beat notes in Cmajor
The opening theme is presented as a series of 4 seemingly unrelated held notes or Fermatas (pauses) G - Eflat - A - B. This is answered by the same pitches in diminution played by tenor tuba and tuba. This is followed by further rhythmic diminution of the theme played by timpani
The dance begins in a gnarly way using solo bassoons, in a very similar manner to Dukas in The Sorcerers Apprentice. The orchestral textures build and thicken with the inclusion of more and more instrumental families
Holst increases tension by increasing the density of notes per half measure from 3 to 4 - increasing speed without the alteration of pulse
Holst uses rhythmic ambiguity with 6/4 in trumpets and 3/2 in tubas
Use of rhythmic ambiguity with strings in 3/2 and woodwind in 6/4
Theme 2 is presented by unison strings and horns accompanied by woodwind and lower strings with single notes on beats 3 and 6
Return of the main theme played by bassoon and bass clarinet with a rhythmic diminution for timpani and further rhythmic augmentation for tuba
Main theme set in 3/2 as apposed to 6/4 played by timpani and tuba followed by the theme played very quickly in eighth notes by piccolo, flute and clarinet concluding with the original theme in the original note lengths
The dance starts again with a complex accompaniment played by bass woodwind instruments, timpani, 2 harps and lower strings
Theme 3 is first heard by tenor tuba and tuba. The phrases are extended to include 9/4 bars concluding with the opening theme in diminution on timpani
Theme 3 played by trumpets using straight quarter note rhythms with woodwind interjections of theme one in eighth notes
Huge orchestral rallentando (slowing down) leading to a massive strike on the bass drum and cymbal and the return of theme 3 with extended phrases in 9/4 with main theme in diminution
Final rallentando with a glissando (rapid ascending scale with the hand drawn across the manual), on the organ along the full length of the manual
Homophonic string chords using just 2 desks of strings with the main theme played by 1st harp using harmonics
Timpani play the main theme in continuing rhythmic diminution until the main theme returns in half notes in strings, brass percussion and woodwind
Full orchestral dissonance using a bi-tonal chord of Fmajor and Cminor with a pedal E
Final fragment of the main theme played by 1st Harp with harmonics and two final ambiguous chords of open fifths
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