Today, July 3, is the birthday of British film director, Ken Russell who was born in Southampton, England, in 1927. He is best known for his Oscar-winning film Women in Love (1969), The Devils (1971), Tommy by The Who (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composer: Elgar, Delius, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Liszt.
photo by Styrous®
The Planets is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.
The premiere was at the Queen's Hall on 29 September 1918, conducted by Holst's friend Adrian Boult before an invited audience of about 250 people. The first complete public performance was finally given in London by Albert Coates conducting the London Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 1920.
photo by Styrous®
Each movement is intended to convey ideas and emotions associated with the influence of the planets on the psyche, not the Roman deities. The idea of the work was suggested to Holst by Clifford Bax, who introduced him to astrology when the two were part of a small group of English artists holidaying in Majorca in the spring of 1913.
When composing The Planets Holst initially scored the work for four hands, two pianos, except for Neptune, which was scored for a single organ,
as Holst believed that the sound of the piano was too percussive for a
world as mysterious and distant as Neptune. Holst then scored the suite
for a large orchestra.
The influence of contemporary composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, as well as late Russian romantics Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov can be heard.
The visuals were chosen by Russell to illustrate associations with the The Planets written, it should be remembered, before the discovery of the planet Pluto.
The influence of contemporary composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, as well as late Russian romantics Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov can be heard.
John Williams used the melodies and instrumentation of Mars as the inspiration for his soundtrack for the Star Wars films (specifically The Imperial March).
LaserDisc back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
In the late-1980s, Russell directed the music video for It's All Coming Back to Me Now, a song written and produced by Jim Steinman for his project with the female pop group, Pandora's Box. The production featured a range of erotic imagery, including studded bras and spiked codpieces. He'd also directed the Elton John video for Nikita which featured a bit of John wearing the same boots he wore as the Pinball Wizard in the film adaptation of Tommy by The Who.
The films of Ken Russell are often surreal as witness the YouTube links (below). Russell died on November 27, 2011, at the age of 84 after a series of strokes.
Viewfinder links:
Adolph Hitler
Gustav Holst
Elton John
Arnold Schoenberg
Star Wars
Jim Steinman
Igor Stravinsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Who
John Williams
Net links:
John Coulthart ~ The Planets by Ken Russell
Music Web ~ Ken Russell’s view of The Planets
Jeffery Schrier website
YouTube links:
Ken Russell ~
The Planets ~ Jupiter
The Boyfriend
Dance of the Seven Veils (1970) complete (57 min., 29 sec.)
A Kitten For Hitler (8 min., 21 sec.)
The Music Lovers ~ 1812 Overture
The Films of Ken Russell (15 min.)
Ken Russell: Sex, God and Tchaikovsky (15 min., 19 sec.)
Ken Russell on his filmmaking career (45 min., 23 sec.)
William Friedkin ~ Ken Russell's The Devils
Ken Russell ~ Gustav Holst's The Planets LaserDisc is for sale on eBay
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