~ mentions:
Gustav Holtz ~ The Planets
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett ~ Praeludium
Benjamin Britten - 1930's
photo by Howard Coster
Showing posts with label Michael Tippett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Tippett. Show all posts
January 4, 2019
Benjamin Britten articles/mentions
~ mentions:
Gustav Holtz ~ The Planets
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett ~ Praeludium
September 21, 2018
1,001 LaserDiscs 6: Gustav Holtz ~ The Planets
12" NTSC LaserDisc front cover
photo by Styrous®
Today, September 21 is the birthday of composer Gustav Holst, who was born in 1874. He is best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, which was 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.
12" NTSC LaserDisc back cover
photo by Styrous®
This recording is performed by Isao Tomita who adapted The Planets for Moog and other synthesizers and electronic devices. Tomita, was a Japanese music-composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music, and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements.
Holst
was the third generation of professional musicians in his family and he
had hoped to become a pianist but was prevented by neuritis in his right arm. He pursued a career as a composer, studying at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. Unable to support himself by his compositions, he played the trombone professionally and later became a teacher—a great one, according to his colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams.
He was a significant influence on a number of younger English composers, including Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten. Apart from The Planets and a handful of other works, his music was generally neglected until the 1980s, when recordings of much of his output became available.
He was a significant influence on a number of younger English composers, including Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten. Apart from The Planets and a handful of other works, his music was generally neglected until the 1980s, when recordings of much of his output became available.
Vaughan Williams
described Holst as "the greatest influence on my music", although
Matthews asserts that each influenced the other equally. Among later
composers, Michael Tippett
is acknowledged as Holst's "most significant artistic
successor", both in terms of compositional style and because Tippett,
who succeeded Holst as director of music at Morley College, maintained
the spirit of Holst's music there.
There are other English composers who are in debt to Holst, in particular William Walton and Benjamin Britten.
There are other English composers who are in debt to Holst, in particular William Walton and Benjamin Britten.
12" NTSC LaserDisc back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Holst conceived the idea of The Planets
in 1913, partly as a result of his interest in astrology, and his
determination to produce a large-scale orchestral work. The chosen
format may have been influenced by Fünf Orchesterstücke, by Schoenberg, and shares something of the aesthetic of Nocturnes or La mer by Debussy.
12" NTSC LaserDisc back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Each planet is represented with a distinct character. In Mars, a persistent, uneven rhythmic cell
consisting of five beats, combined with trumpet calls and harmonic
dissonance provides battle music which is unique in its
expression of violence and sheer terror, "... Holst's intention being to
portray the reality of warfare rather than to glorify deeds of
heroism".
John Williams used the melodies and instrumentation of Mars as the inspiration for his soundtrack for the Star Wars films (specifically The Imperial March)
Hans Zimmer closely used the melodies, instrumentation and orchestration of Mars as the inspiration for his soundtrack for the movie Gladiator to the extent that a lawsuit for copyright infringement was filed by the Holst foundation
John Williams used the melodies and instrumentation of Mars as the inspiration for his soundtrack for the Star Wars films (specifically The Imperial March)
Hans Zimmer closely used the melodies, instrumentation and orchestration of Mars as the inspiration for his soundtrack for the movie Gladiator to the extent that a lawsuit for copyright infringement was filed by the Holst foundation
12" NTSC LaserDisc back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
In Venus, Holst incorporated music from an abandoned vocal work, A Vigil of Pentecost, to provide the opening; the prevalent mood within the movement is of peaceful resignation and nostalgia. Mercury is dominated by uneven metres and rapid changes of theme, to represent the speedy flight of the winged messenger.
12" NTSC LaserDisc back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Holst adapted the melody of the central section of Jupiter in 1921 to fit the metre of a poem beginning I Vow to Thee, My Country. As a hymn tune it has the title Thaxted, after the town in Essex where Holst lived for many years, and it has also been used for other hymns, such as O God beyond all praising and We Praise You and Acknowledge You with lyrics by Rev. Stephen P. Starke. It is by far the best-known melody of the suite.
12" NTSC LaserDisc sleeve
photo by Styrous®
Holst died in London on 25 May 1934, at the age of 59, of heart failure following an operation on his ulcer. His ashes were interred at Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, close to the memorial to Thomas Weelkes, his favourite Tudor composer. Bishop George Bell gave the memorial oration at the funeral, and Vaughan Williams conducted music by Holst and himself.
On 27 September 2009, after a weekend of concerts at Chichester Cathedral in memory of Holst, a new memorial was unveiled to mark the 75th anniversary of the composer's death. It is inscribed with words from the text of The Hymn of Jesus: "The heavenly spheres make music for us". In April 2011 a BBC television documentary, Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter, charted Holst's life with particular reference to his support for socialism and the cause of working people.
On 27 September 2009, after a weekend of concerts at Chichester Cathedral in memory of Holst, a new memorial was unveiled to mark the 75th anniversary of the composer's death. It is inscribed with words from the text of The Hymn of Jesus: "The heavenly spheres make music for us". In April 2011 a BBC television documentary, Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter, charted Holst's life with particular reference to his support for socialism and the cause of working people.
Tracklist:
1 Opening Logos
2 Main Title
3 Blast Off
4 Mars: The Bringer of War
5 Venus: The Bringer of Love
6 Interlude
7 Mercury: The Winged Messenger
8 Interlude
9 Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity
10 Interlude
11 Saturn: The Bringer of Age
12 Interlude
13 Uranus: The Magician
14 Neptune: The Mystic
15 End Credits
Notes:
One Sided Extended Play.
Distributed Exclusively by Image Entertainment.
Made In USA
Copyright 1991 Don Barrett Productions, Inc.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode: 01438184216
Tomita – The Planets
Label: Malibu Video, Inc. – ID8421DB
Format: Laserdisc, 12", Stereo, NTSC
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Style: Modern Classical
Viewfinder links:
Benjamin Britten
Gustav Holst
Michael Tippett
Net link:
Gustav Holst website
Gustav Holst Recordings
YouTube links:
The Planets ~
Mars, The Bringer of War
Venus, The Bringer of Peace
Mercury, The Winged Messenger
Jupiter the Bringer of Jollity & Saturn the Bringer of Old Age
Uranus, The Magician
Neptune, The Mystic
The LaserDisc, Gustav Holtz ~ The Planets, is for sale on eBay
Styrous® ~ Friday, September 21, 2018
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