Are these no longer available on Any podcast apps? I can’t find them anywhere other than RUclips. I am on the third episode but I love having a deeper understanding of the music. You should definitely do more of these if you can
Just a quick heads up, Caelus was Saturn’s father and the Roman god of the sky, so when astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus, fellow scientist Johann Elert Bode suggested using Caelus’s Greek counterpart, Ouranos. This would be soon Latinized to Uranus.
Hi All - I will be starting a Podcast series full time, particularly for while I'm doing my Masters and don't have the facility to make full length videos. I'm really excited for many of the episodes I've got planned! Within the next week or so I'll get it set up properly as a Podcast, with all the feeds and all that done properly (I'm new to this). For now you can enjoy this on RUclips, and I will post every episode on RUclips as well as on Podcast channels. I'm not going to set up the Podcast things right away though as I'm enjoying my vacation.
@@maviemuchris2603 Maybe! Hadn't thought of that. I'm very new to all this - it should come up on iTunes etc. once I've got that all set up. Time for me to go for a swim in the sun now...
This is one of those rare videos that I wish I could give multiple thumbs up to, as it deserves so much exposure on the platform. Needless to say, I will listen to all forthcoming podcasts in this series. Thanks!
In Saturn, with the chord towards the end, you mention it was an interesting way for Holst to consider old age. I like to think of what leads up to it as someone coming to be terrified of death approaching, our awareness of our mortality, and then, eventually--after fighting with our denial of death (more than once)--we reach a moment of serenity in surrendering to it, and find our capacity for noble acceptance of our old age: that's the chord. Which reminds me of two thoughts: Aging gracefully is graceful because it is done with accepting; and, Viktor Frankl discussing old age as not something for the youth to fear, but a position in life to be envied by the youth--what life they have already lived, how full that is, how much proof of having lived they contain within themselves.
Firebird Suite - Stravinsky The Triumph Of Time - Harrison Birtwistle A Night on Bald Mountain - Mussorgsky The Rite of Spring - Stravinsky Symphony No. 9 - Beethoven Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saëns William Tell Overture - Rossini The Ring Cycle - Wagner Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Bach Four Seasons - Vivaldi Symphony No. 5 - Mahler
I am so glad to have found this work . It brings me fond memories of my father teaching me how to appreciate classical music 30 years ago. BRAVO! I am reawakened to my love for classical with you.
Thank you for this informative video. I'll be interested in more of them. I've been quite well acquainted with The Planets for nearly 50 years now, and having become familiar with it initially via a recording of Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra, i totally agree with you that it's probably the best rendition; although I'm also very familiar with the Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra rendition, which is also very good. The tempo and pauses in the right places are crucial to making it good or bad. In listening to The Planets, I've thought to dwell on the individual planets and seek out the personalities ,experiences and wisdom they individually would have as Gustav Holst depicts them.
Growing up, my father introduced me to classical music, but my attraction to it had a lot to do with its filmic capacity. This piece in particular - one my father didn't have to introduce me to - appealed because of its influence over my imagination, but became a favorite due to its textural variety. Now, having you explain it in the way you do, I've found a new appreciation for it and am off to listen after finishing this comment. I absolutely love this channel and what you're doing to bring classical forward to a contemporary audience. Yours is one of three channels I set notifications on. Keep up the great work! I wish I could help support you financially.
Did Holst use a massive organ in Uranus? Yes, l know; very childish but l couldn't resist. 😊 I think The Planets was what turned me on to classical music as a boy and it still has a special place in my heart all these decades later. Many thanks for this.
I’ve been binging the (at the point of writing this) 7 episodes of this series; it’s absolutely magnificent and incomparable to any other material on this platform. Fantastic!
One of my favorite works for the last 30 years. Every movement is mysterious and delightful. Thank you for your guided tour into the intricacies of the piece.
"The Planets" is the first classical music album I bought when I was a teenager. It was (is) the interpretation by Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, directed by Charles Dutoit in 1987. I understand why I should refrain from seeing images when listening to music, but this is really hard to do for me with "The Planets." Gustav Holst's music is so evocative that all sorts of scenes immediately pop in my mind. In Mars, I cannot help but see a battlefield, with bombs and rockets and cavalry. In Venus, it is a beautiful garden by a river at sunset. Jupiter is indeed a feast for the gods. Saturn is an old man remembering his glory days with grief and finally accepting that they are over. And it is impossible to hear Neptune without seeing the ocean and the deeps.
Visualizing how you feel when listening to something is a more than acceptable form of enjoying music. If you want to listen and analyze each sound and pay attention to them closely, then you are also free to do so. But yeah, there's more than one way of enjoying music I really love The Planets too and how they capture a very vivid and atmospheric feeling that immerses me extremely well
For me the initial problem was less "stop visualizing" than "stop trying to see a story". Whenever I listen to Mars i can't help but see cavalry charges in my head in some parts, but when I first listened to it I felt a bit frustrated because after the charge ""the cavalry didn't go anywhere"". I think the advice is useful if you're not used to the highly abstract expression of classical music.
The Planets is just... Brilliant. And seeing a video where you present this pieces is just beautiful. And you narration seem to be really good as well. Keep up that good work
I would love to hear about other great works of the 20th century, like Debussy's La Mer, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, Stravinsky's the Rite of Spring and Bartok's concerto for orchestra. Also some great symphonies, like Dvorak's 9th, Rachmaninoff's 2nd, etc.
As a person who only listens to short solo works or single movements handpicked from soloist instrument concertos, your insight on how the modern world lacks appreciation of big works of art by only listening to short 3 minute songs and your careful scrutiny of each work, really inspires me to listen to large works more as a whole rather than handpicking them by listening to only one movement. I really think that the world really needs to learn to lay down and appreciate long meditative music, rather than shuffling through their library filled with 3-5 minute music like it's their narcotics inventory.
I listened to Mars on your recommendation from your introduction video to classical for emotion. I was moved now I’m understanding emotion. I’m here wanting to learn more about Holst. I know this work took him three years to make after a brief stay in Spain and a discussion on astrology. Thank you so much
I love this! I played the planets in a double orchestra last year (1st violin) and it was a blast! Mars and Uranus were my favourites to play, but I love listening to Neptune and the ending of Saturn. I would love to hear a podcast on Smetana’s Ma Vlast, or if you’re up for it (perhaps in a four part) Wagner’s Ring!
when I was in high school and took humanties class, I actually didn't know what this piece was entirely (although I played the violin since age 5 and in orchestra a lot. in class they had us draw what we heard. and they played Mars bringer of war (though they didn't tell us the name of the song) I literally drew a bunch of airplanes and dog fights and armies fighting a war. and that one point where you hear that climax and long note, I drew a mushroom cloud.oddly, 2 months after class ended, (I had gone to Interlochen for 5 summers) we played Mars, Saturn and Jupiter that summer, and some other stuff too.holst sure did a good job conveying the message.
One of my favorite, American composers Aaron Copeland, who I was introduced to because Keith Emerson used in a lot of his music, and I can remember a time when Aaron Copeland was being interviewed and he said He was influenced by Holtz Just amazing when you think about it. Thank you so much. Be safe out there.
I've always loved this music, and that ethereal ending as we journey past the last (in Host's time) planet into deep eternal space. The Planets to me has always been one of those works that, familiar though it becomes, never gets tired or ceases to grab my emotions when I hear it. Thanks for the great essay on this wonderful music!
Loved this video! Great breakdown and I like that you encourage listeners to go listen on their own and don't spoil too much of the goodness. Since everyone else is offering up suggestions, mine would be Rite of Spring, Harmonielehre by John Adams, and Lincolnshire Posy by Grainger.
@@eduard6266 I’m not a Spotify person, but I’m gonna go with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. I don’t know how Sir Charles Mackerras does all seven movements so perfectly. Only the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s recording of “Neptune” comes close to that of the RLPO.
The Planets - one of my favorites. My introduction to it was at Laserium, where one of the displays was to Neptune (in the 1970's). Then I picked up the LP put out by Tomita. Then I got an orchestral LP of it. Haven't listened to the whole piece in decades. Can I make some requests? Respighi, The Pines of Rome (another one that I first heard a movement at that same Laserium); Copeland, Billy the Kid Suite, Rodeo; Grofe, Grand Canyon Suite; Stravinski, FIrebird Suite...
This brought up so many feelings and memories from playing Mars in the orchestra. An emotional and powerful piece presented in a very insightful and entertaining commentary. Thank you!
This is fantastic work, thank you for sharing! I'm currently studying a masters in conducting, and I'm very interested in making classical music more accessible and less elitist. There's something in here for the trained musician and for the novice, which isn't easy to do! I'd be very interested to hear more about your research. A live version of a podcast like this accompanied by a full performance of the work is an incredibly exciting idea.
Thank you for this whole channel. Classical Nerd got me into the history side of classical music, but your channel helps me actually listen and analyze the music which helps me with playing (I didn't have the privilege of being musical as a child, so now I'm catching up as an adult.)
I went to my cities philharmonic orchestra last week because I found out they were playing the planets (found out, more like had been planning this since last year when they told us their 2018/19 programming). It was seriously amazing, and they had a huge orchestra for it. I believe the conductor said that there were over 100 people on the stage when they included the women's choir (though they weren't actually on the stage). I've listened to this suite many times while at home, but hearing it live and actively listening to every single planet, not just my favourites was something else. This was actually posted on the day I went to see it, and I wish I had watched this before I went so I could have kept some of these things in mind.
Excellent choice for podcast #1. No surprise: Boult's recording was the first classical LP I bought for myself years ago, after listening to the public library's offerings. I'm old enough now to recognize Saturn as the best movement. Love to hear your insights, even on old favorites like this.
FYI: What you're describing in the beginning about our decreasing attention span and daily distractions is the main theme in the book _The Shallows_ by Nicholas Carr. He does, however, approach the subject in regard to reading literature, rather than listening to music.
Funny you put this out the same night I saw The Planets for the first time, played by the Hamilton philharmonic orchestra, in Ontario, Canada. Great podcast, looking forward to more.
My favourite version is with Vernon Handley conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the first fully digital recordings from 1993, fantastic performance and produced so well, each instrument sounds beautiful, whoever did the mix and production did an incredible job
Fun Fact - Holst was commissioned to write music to the poem "I vow to thee my Country" at which point he used the famous section of Jupiter as his basis.
Outstanding, I've always remembered this one kid comedy film from my childhood called Spaced Invaders for how incredibly powerful the intro soundtrack felt and how odd it was for it to be present on a sci-fi comedy. The piece echoed forever in my memory more than anything in that movie, like an unquenched thirst for the epic space opera the composition allured to. Fast forward to today and your upload reveals to me it was "Mars, The Bringer of War" all along.
I used to listen to Suppers Ready , seconds out version, once I got home from school. It was my sisters LP and I would put it back before she got home from work, even though she never played it to my knowledge. It was hard going at first but I grew to love it and it was the stepping stone to classical music for me.
I actually don’t have a problem with skipping often. Sometimes, in a playlist of random pieces, I’ll skip the slow ones or the ones I’m not in the mood for to get to the ones I want, but I often just listen to straight albums.
Holst. I love this to death. Avoiding Mars' bad mood, lounging with Venus, flitting across the skies with Mercury, having a night out with Jupiter, waking up to a hangover with Saturn, good automated breakfast with Uranus, and a relaxing day by the sea with Neptune.
Bro, you said not to imagine anything when listening to the music in terms of visuals and then you just started painting pictures in my head during Jupiter
Another great performance is by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This double CD also includes Richard Strauss' full "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as well as the concert suites for "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". As "The Planets" has influenced John Williams' music, he has released his own recording with the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Excellent summary of a great work! My favorite recording is by Bernard Herrmann. It is quite unique with very slow Tempi which just makes the drama even greater.
Firstly, I think the new format is great and presented very well. You're doing what I, as a composer, have wanted to see for a while - that is to say making these musical ideas which I think everyone can grasp accessible, without getting bogged down in terminology. One idea I couldn't quite get behind was the thought that it's best to avoid associating the music with imagery. I'm sure there's some thinking behind this but I don't feel like it's properly established why it's a good idea and I'm not sure it is. The kind of imagination I have, I am prone to imagining purely musical ideas in my head, so it's very easy for me to engage with a piece on a purely musical level. But others - those, perhaps, with more visual imaginations may find that translating what they hear into a story or a set of images helps them to access the work. It also feels like it draws a line between programme and non-programme music, since programme music itself comes with imagery, inherently. And I've always been wary of that line. Indeed, while The Planets isn't exactly a programmatic work it's not devoid of imagery. Even with my very audio-based imagination, in the context of WW1 it's hard not to picture automatic gunfire in that opening rhythm of Mars, and in Saturn at the climax it's hard not to think of a room full of chiming clocks. Indeed, when trying to describe what the music is like you yourself conjure several visual metaphors - when you talk about the 3/4 part of Jupiter, for example. Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to more from this series, especially if it can help unlock works I'm less familiar with than this one! (I recently heard the Mackerras/Liverpool Philharmonic which I think has a marvellous, fierce energy to it)
I agree with your statements about imagery. Plenty of people simply listen differently and if imagery enhances their experience or makes it more accessible to them, I'm all for it.
I agree especially with saturn where the dreadful music slowly builds up it's hard for me not to imagine someone aging and getting closer to death like it seems to me this kind of imagery was intended by the composer.
Your series is rapidly becoming one of my favorite channels on youtube, and I will be following your podcasts once you post the address. I hope you will do more of the 'classical era' forms, as you did with sonata form, eg rondo, theme and variation, minuet & trio to scherzo, perhaps some baroque forms as well, such as passacaglia and suites, and how these forms are still in use today, and can even be found in pop music. I've often thought of The Planets as a sort of super-symphony. First movement is a dramatic, high-energy movement, the second movement more lyrical ala romanze, the third movement scherzo-ish, the fourth movement lively and as if to wrap things up with the hymn. But then the last three movements unexpectedly repeat the emotional sequences of movements 2 (lyrical, elegiac), 3 (humorous) and 4 (ethereal), all of them taking on an even more other-worldly sound.
I’m very much looking forward to your podcast! I bought the Berlin recordings a month or so ago and I had only listened to the songs from Holst’s Planets Suite individually. After listening to some of those modern songs: Pluto, Asteroid, etc. it was very unsettling at first, but I learned to love them when I listened to the recordings as a whole. :)
I usually imagine some sort of visuals when I’m listening to any type of music and it actually enhances the experience of listening for me. P.s. I really enjoyed this podcast. I would hope that you put it on Spotify, so I could listen while being able to close my phone.
Thank you ever so much for sharing your take on this. We played the watered down version of the Jupiter piece back in High School and loved that grand theme. I sadly didn't look more into it, and frankly I think our conductor could have educated us more about it as well. I look forward to what else you produce!
The music was used for a patriotic British hymn called “I vow to thee my country”. It was used as the British anthem for the rugby World Cup and for numerous other things.
Here are links to the recordings on Spotify: Boult: open.spotify.com/album/0FgrMnUaVt1TktyS7yeld7?si=8HWw8UCIQWGuauBm6PfniQ Rattle: open.spotify.com/album/5a5eHBTZbbHPSTnQo5PNKz?si=s3I6w0WuT1ueOUnkv43c_w
I’ve always been intrigued, entranced, and sometimes frightened by the various Requiem Masses from Mozart (the fear of “Dies Irae”) through Andrew Lloyd Webber (the sad sublimity of “Pie Jesu”) and the pieces that call the Mass to mind (cf. Berlioz’s “War Requiem”). I’d love an episode or many on these.
Do you mean Britten's War Requiem? Great piece! And the Mozart too! Verdi Requiem I've done a video on. For something hauntingly beautiful try the Howells Requiem - as recorded by Trinity College Choir and Stephen Layton
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Subscribed! Thank you very much.
Please do a podcast episode on the Soviet composers.
Are these no longer available on Any podcast apps? I can’t find them anywhere other than RUclips. I am on the third episode but I love having a deeper understanding of the music. You should definitely do more of these if you can
Just a quick heads up, Caelus was Saturn’s father and the Roman god of the sky, so when astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus, fellow scientist Johann Elert Bode suggested using Caelus’s Greek counterpart, Ouranos. This would be soon Latinized to Uranus.
Hi All - I will be starting a Podcast series full time, particularly for while I'm doing my Masters and don't have the facility to make full length videos. I'm really excited for many of the episodes I've got planned!
Within the next week or so I'll get it set up properly as a Podcast, with all the feeds and all that done properly (I'm new to this). For now you can enjoy this on RUclips, and I will post every episode on RUclips as well as on Podcast channels. I'm not going to set up the Podcast things right away though as I'm enjoying my vacation.
This format is great! Are you planning to put it on Spotify?
@@maviemuchris2603 Maybe! Hadn't thought of that. I'm very new to all this - it should come up on iTunes etc. once I've got that all set up. Time for me to go for a swim in the sun now...
Inside the Score, good luck with your masters - rest assured that I‘ll be enjoying your content in the meantime! 😊
I'm so glad that you are starting a Podcast. I find your videos interesting and educational.
I loved this video. I can't wait to hear the podcast!
New world - Antonin Dvorak?
I would love that!
Oooh that would be cool.
It's the piece that gave me the most joy to play in the symphony!
Yes, Yes please
everyone would love that!
All time favorite symphony.
This is one of those rare videos that I wish I could give multiple thumbs up to, as it deserves so much exposure on the platform. Needless to say, I will listen to all forthcoming podcasts in this series. Thanks!
In Saturn, with the chord towards the end, you mention it was an interesting way for Holst to consider old age. I like to think of what leads up to it as someone coming to be terrified of death approaching, our awareness of our mortality, and then, eventually--after fighting with our denial of death (more than once)--we reach a moment of serenity in surrendering to it, and find our capacity for noble acceptance of our old age: that's the chord. Which reminds me of two thoughts: Aging gracefully is graceful because it is done with accepting; and, Viktor Frankl discussing old age as not something for the youth to fear, but a position in life to be envied by the youth--what life they have already lived, how full that is, how much proof of having lived they contain within themselves.
Firebird Suite - Stravinsky
The Triumph Of Time - Harrison Birtwistle
A Night on Bald Mountain - Mussorgsky
The Rite of Spring - Stravinsky
Symphony No. 9 - Beethoven
Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saëns
William Tell Overture - Rossini
The Ring Cycle - Wagner
Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Bach
Four Seasons - Vivaldi
Symphony No. 5 - Mahler
Mahler's Fifth! Yes!
I am so glad to have found this work . It brings me fond memories of my father teaching me how to appreciate classical music 30 years ago. BRAVO! I am reawakened to my love for classical with you.
Thank you for this informative video. I'll be interested in more of them.
I've been quite well acquainted with The Planets for nearly 50 years now, and having become familiar with it initially via a recording of Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra, i totally agree with you that it's probably the best rendition; although I'm also very familiar with the Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra rendition, which is also very good. The tempo and pauses in the right places are crucial to making it good or bad.
In listening to The Planets, I've thought to dwell on the individual planets and seek out the personalities ,experiences and wisdom they individually would have as Gustav Holst depicts them.
Growing up, my father introduced me to classical music, but my attraction to it had a lot to do with its filmic capacity. This piece in particular - one my father didn't have to introduce me to - appealed because of its influence over my imagination, but became a favorite due to its textural variety.
Now, having you explain it in the way you do, I've found a new appreciation for it and am off to listen after finishing this comment. I absolutely love this channel and what you're doing to bring classical forward to a contemporary audience. Yours is one of three channels I set notifications on. Keep up the great work! I wish I could help support you financially.
I just love how Neptune makes you feel like you're out in deep, deep space.
The first recording of The Planets I ever bought - and still a favorite - was William Steinberg and the Boston Symphony.
I will eagerly be waiting for your future output.
Thank you !
8:27 you cut out the best moment of the whole piece!! i'm literally crying from tension!
Did Holst use a massive organ in Uranus?
Yes, l know; very childish but l couldn't resist. 😊
I think The Planets was what turned me on to classical music as a boy and it still has a special place in my heart all these decades later.
Many thanks for this.
I’ve been binging the (at the point of writing this) 7 episodes of this series; it’s absolutely magnificent and incomparable to any other material on this platform. Fantastic!
One of my favorite works for the last 30 years. Every movement is mysterious and delightful. Thank you for your guided tour into the intricacies of the piece.
"The Planets" is the first classical music album I bought when I was a teenager. It was (is) the interpretation by Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, directed by Charles Dutoit in 1987. I understand why I should refrain from seeing images when listening to music, but this is really hard to do for me with "The Planets." Gustav Holst's music is so evocative that all sorts of scenes immediately pop in my mind. In Mars, I cannot help but see a battlefield, with bombs and rockets and cavalry. In Venus, it is a beautiful garden by a river at sunset. Jupiter is indeed a feast for the gods. Saturn is an old man remembering his glory days with grief and finally accepting that they are over. And it is impossible to hear Neptune without seeing the ocean and the deeps.
Visualizing how you feel when listening to something is a more than acceptable form of enjoying music. If you want to listen and analyze each sound and pay attention to them closely, then you are also free to do so. But yeah, there's more than one way of enjoying music
I really love The Planets too and how they capture a very vivid and atmospheric feeling that immerses me extremely well
For me the initial problem was less "stop visualizing" than "stop trying to see a story". Whenever I listen to Mars i can't help but see cavalry charges in my head in some parts, but when I first listened to it I felt a bit frustrated because after the charge ""the cavalry didn't go anywhere"". I think the advice is useful if you're not used to the highly abstract expression of classical music.
The Planets is just... Brilliant. And seeing a video where you present this pieces is just beautiful. And you narration seem to be really good as well. Keep up that good work
I would love to hear about other great works of the 20th century, like Debussy's La Mer, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, Stravinsky's the Rite of Spring and Bartok's concerto for orchestra. Also some great symphonies, like Dvorak's 9th, Rachmaninoff's 2nd, etc.
I like the Berliner Philharmoniker and Herbert von Karajan, 1981 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin. Great tempi and wonderful recording!
As a person who only listens to short solo works or single movements handpicked from soloist instrument concertos, your insight on how the modern world lacks appreciation of big works of art by only listening to short 3 minute songs and your careful scrutiny of each work, really inspires me to listen to large works more as a whole rather than handpicking them by listening to only one movement.
I really think that the world really needs to learn to lay down and appreciate long meditative music, rather than shuffling through their library filled with 3-5 minute music like it's their narcotics inventory.
I listened to Mars on your recommendation from your introduction video to classical for emotion. I was moved now I’m understanding emotion. I’m here wanting to learn more about Holst. I know this work took him three years to make after a brief stay in Spain and a discussion on astrology. Thank you so much
I’m soo excited for this series.
Some of my favorite arrangements of all time, thanks for sharing!
I love this! I played the planets in a double orchestra last year (1st violin) and it was a blast! Mars and Uranus were my favourites to play, but I love listening to Neptune and the ending of Saturn.
I would love to hear a podcast on Smetana’s Ma Vlast, or if you’re up for it (perhaps in a four part) Wagner’s Ring!
when I was in high school and took humanties class, I actually didn't know what this piece was entirely (although I played the violin since age 5 and in orchestra a lot. in class they had us draw what we heard. and they played Mars bringer of war (though they didn't tell us the name of the song) I literally drew a bunch of airplanes and dog fights and armies fighting a war. and that one point where you hear that climax and long note, I drew a mushroom cloud.oddly, 2 months after class ended, (I had gone to Interlochen for 5 summers) we played Mars, Saturn and Jupiter that summer, and some other stuff too.holst sure did a good job conveying the message.
The best piece in The Planets is Neptune, no question. That choir is haunting
One of my favorite, American composers Aaron Copeland, who I was introduced to because Keith Emerson used in a lot of his music, and I can remember a time when Aaron Copeland was being interviewed and he said He was influenced by Holtz Just amazing when you think about it. Thank you so much. Be safe out there.
The planets is one of my favorite works, one of the first I listened to seriously
I've always loved this music, and that ethereal ending as we journey past the last (in Host's time) planet into deep eternal space. The Planets to me has always been one of those works that, familiar though it becomes, never gets tired or ceases to grab my emotions when I hear it. Thanks for the great essay on this wonderful music!
Loved this video! Great breakdown and I like that you encourage listeners to go listen on their own and don't spoil too much of the goodness. Since everyone else is offering up suggestions, mine would be Rite of Spring, Harmonielehre by John Adams, and Lincolnshire Posy by Grainger.
OH MY GOD I LOVE THE PLANETS!
Same!
Whats your favorite recording on spotify
@@eduard6266 I’m not a Spotify person, but I’m gonna go with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. I don’t know how Sir Charles Mackerras does all seven movements so perfectly. Only the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s recording of “Neptune” comes close to that of the RLPO.
@@eduard6266 James Levine with the Chicago Philharmonic is by far the best!
The Planets - one of my favorites. My introduction to it was at Laserium, where one of the displays was to Neptune (in the 1970's). Then I picked up the LP put out by Tomita. Then I got an orchestral LP of it. Haven't listened to the whole piece in decades. Can I make some requests? Respighi, The Pines of Rome (another one that I first heard a movement at that same Laserium); Copeland, Billy the Kid Suite, Rodeo; Grofe, Grand Canyon Suite; Stravinski, FIrebird Suite...
Grand canyon suite, haven't heard that since childhood, thanks for reminding me. My father used to listen to it
This brought up so many feelings and memories from playing Mars in the orchestra. An emotional and powerful piece presented in a very insightful and entertaining commentary. Thank you!
Just discovered this series. What a wonderful introduction to a stunning piece of music.
The Planets is so amazingly beautiful, I discovered it because of an metal band called Bathory, I do not regret it anyway, thank you!
Thanx so much for sharing your hard work, high intelligence and musical sensitivity!
The performance at Proms 2016 is my favorite
This is fantastic work, thank you for sharing!
I'm currently studying a masters in conducting, and I'm very interested in making classical music more accessible and less elitist. There's something in here for the trained musician and for the novice, which isn't easy to do!
I'd be very interested to hear more about your research. A live version of a podcast like this accompanied by a full performance of the work is an incredibly exciting idea.
Thanks - that's great Tim!
Thank you for this whole channel. Classical Nerd got me into the history side of classical music, but your channel helps me actually listen and analyze the music which helps me with playing (I didn't have the privilege of being musical as a child, so now I'm catching up as an adult.)
I went to my cities philharmonic orchestra last week because I found out they were playing the planets (found out, more like had been planning this since last year when they told us their 2018/19 programming). It was seriously amazing, and they had a huge orchestra for it. I believe the conductor said that there were over 100 people on the stage when they included the women's choir (though they weren't actually on the stage). I've listened to this suite many times while at home, but hearing it live and actively listening to every single planet, not just my favourites was something else. This was actually posted on the day I went to see it, and I wish I had watched this before I went so I could have kept some of these things in mind.
Excellent choice for podcast #1. No surprise: Boult's recording was the first classical LP I bought for myself years ago, after listening to the public library's offerings. I'm old enough now to recognize Saturn as the best movement. Love to hear your insights, even on old favorites like this.
Yes and in my youth I thought Saturn was the one to skip. I was so wrong
FYI: What you're describing in the beginning about our decreasing attention span and daily distractions is the main theme in the book _The Shallows_ by Nicholas Carr. He does, however, approach the subject in regard to reading literature, rather than listening to music.
Funny you put this out the same night I saw The Planets for the first time, played by the Hamilton philharmonic orchestra, in Ontario, Canada. Great podcast, looking forward to more.
Favor ver nota aparte gracias
My favourite version is with Vernon Handley conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the first fully digital recordings from 1993, fantastic performance and produced so well, each instrument sounds beautiful, whoever did the mix and production did an incredible job
I love The Planets, especially Jupiter
Fun Fact - Holst was commissioned to write music to the poem "I vow to thee my Country" at which point he used the famous section of Jupiter as his basis.
This is brilliant!!
Outstanding, I've always remembered this one kid comedy film from my childhood called Spaced Invaders for how incredibly powerful the intro soundtrack felt and how odd it was for it to be present on a sci-fi comedy. The piece echoed forever in my memory more than anything in that movie, like an unquenched thirst for the epic space opera the composition allured to. Fast forward to today and your upload reveals to me it was "Mars, The Bringer of War" all along.
I used to listen to Suppers Ready , seconds out version, once I got home from school. It was my sisters LP and I would put it back before she got home from work, even though she never played it to my knowledge. It was hard going at first but I grew to love it and it was the stepping stone to classical music for me.
I actually don’t have a problem with skipping often. Sometimes, in a playlist of random pieces, I’ll skip the slow ones or the ones I’m not in the mood for to get to the ones I want, but I often just listen to straight albums.
Yes, I love Enigma! I would love a podcast on it!
And I absolutely love Holst! This was an awesome video!
Holst. I love this to death. Avoiding Mars' bad mood, lounging with Venus, flitting across the skies with Mercury, having a night out with Jupiter, waking up to a hangover with Saturn, good automated breakfast with Uranus, and a relaxing day by the sea with Neptune.
This is some of the best music ever. Thank you for the vid.
Thank you for your excellent an thoughtful work! Im learning so much and being inspire.
This is my most absolutely favorite piece.
Bro, you said not to imagine anything when listening to the music in terms of visuals and then you just started painting pictures in my head during Jupiter
You changed my life this podcast is the best thank you and please continue
I love this piece of music so much. Thank you for making this episode.
Another great performance is by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This double CD also includes Richard Strauss' full "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as well as the concert suites for "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". As "The Planets" has influenced John Williams' music, he has released his own recording with the Boston Pops Orchestra.
I loved it! Enjoyed every minute, thank u so much!! Keep doing it 💙 xoxo from brazil
Excellent summary of a great work! My favorite recording is by Bernard Herrmann. It is quite unique with very slow Tempi which just makes the drama even greater.
Awesome podcast, thank you! I recently stumbled across the Planets suite and was amazed how modern it sounds.
Firstly, I think the new format is great and presented very well. You're doing what I, as a composer, have wanted to see for a while - that is to say making these musical ideas which I think everyone can grasp accessible, without getting bogged down in terminology.
One idea I couldn't quite get behind was the thought that it's best to avoid associating the music with imagery. I'm sure there's some thinking behind this but I don't feel like it's properly established why it's a good idea and I'm not sure it is. The kind of imagination I have, I am prone to imagining purely musical ideas in my head, so it's very easy for me to engage with a piece on a purely musical level. But others - those, perhaps, with more visual imaginations may find that translating what they hear into a story or a set of images helps them to access the work.
It also feels like it draws a line between programme and non-programme music, since programme music itself comes with imagery, inherently. And I've always been wary of that line. Indeed, while The Planets isn't exactly a programmatic work it's not devoid of imagery. Even with my very audio-based imagination, in the context of WW1 it's hard not to picture automatic gunfire in that opening rhythm of Mars, and in Saturn at the climax it's hard not to think of a room full of chiming clocks. Indeed, when trying to describe what the music is like you yourself conjure several visual metaphors - when you talk about the 3/4 part of Jupiter, for example.
Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to more from this series, especially if it can help unlock works I'm less familiar with than this one! (I recently heard the Mackerras/Liverpool Philharmonic which I think has a marvellous, fierce energy to it)
I agree with your statements about imagery. Plenty of people simply listen differently and if imagery enhances their experience or makes it more accessible to them, I'm all for it.
I agree especially with saturn where the dreadful music slowly builds up it's hard for me not to imagine someone aging and getting closer to death like it seems to me this kind of imagery was intended by the composer.
Excellent analysis of all of the movements. This is one of my favorite pieces of all time, if not one of my favorites then my absolute favorite.
Great video. Gustav is my favorite composer and this is my favorite suite.
Nicely made review! I have listened to these pieces a ton and still learned more that I missed! Thanks man!
This is my favorite piece
Your series is rapidly becoming one of my favorite channels on youtube, and I will be following your podcasts once you post the address. I hope you will do more of the 'classical era' forms, as you did with sonata form, eg rondo, theme and variation, minuet & trio to scherzo, perhaps some baroque forms as well, such as passacaglia and suites, and how these forms are still in use today, and can even be found in pop music.
I've often thought of The Planets as a sort of super-symphony. First movement is a dramatic, high-energy movement, the second movement more lyrical ala romanze, the third movement scherzo-ish, the fourth movement lively and as if to wrap things up with the hymn. But then the last three movements unexpectedly repeat the emotional sequences of movements 2 (lyrical, elegiac), 3 (humorous) and 4 (ethereal), all of them taking on an even more other-worldly sound.
Well done. I can't wait for more in this series.
Maybe Sibelius 2nd Symphony, and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Well if you do Symphonie Fantastique, you have to also do the sequel, Lelio!
I am convinced that in some outer reaches of the galaxy that choir is still singing those eerie notes.
I'd love to see you continue making the quick guides to Beethoven's symphones in this podcast format.
Can somebody send the Spotify link? 🤔
I’m very much looking forward to your podcast!
I bought the Berlin recordings a month or so ago and I had only listened to the songs from Holst’s Planets Suite individually.
After listening to some of those modern songs: Pluto, Asteroid, etc. it was very unsettling at first, but I learned to love them when I listened to the recordings as a whole. :)
One of my favorite music.
This is excellent. Thank you
I would love an episode that is a roadmap of Classical music. From a 4 piece chamber orchestra up to the biggest collection of musicians.
5:20- it’s not just the basses that are playing that rhythm co legno. The cellos are also playing
Skip6235 It’s the entire string section surprising
I like your discriminations of the themes. It is already one of my favourite pieces but I'm enjoying your commentary. Thank you.
I love this peace. My fav performis is with gardner
I usually imagine some sort of visuals when I’m listening to any type of music and it actually enhances the experience of listening for me.
P.s.
I really enjoyed this podcast. I would hope that you put it on Spotify, so I could listen while being able to close my phone.
Are you going to post this on spotify/apple podcasts?
This is brilliant, absolutely top notch content and look forward to you covering other pieces! Thanks ITS.
Thank you ever so much for sharing your take on this. We played the watered down version of the Jupiter piece back in High School and loved that grand theme. I sadly didn't look more into it, and frankly I think our conductor could have educated us more about it as well. I look forward to what else you produce!
I love this channel its a gem to see one of your videos show up in my subscription feed
Thank you, very useful. Would be perfect to watch score examples in the video along with the narration
why is Jupiter particularly meaningful for the British? 12:15
The music was used for a patriotic British hymn called “I vow to thee my country”. It was used as the British anthem for the rugby World Cup and for numerous other things.
this piece got me into classical
looking very much forward to the next one. very well narrated!
Here are links to the recordings on Spotify:
Boult: open.spotify.com/album/0FgrMnUaVt1TktyS7yeld7?si=8HWw8UCIQWGuauBm6PfniQ
Rattle: open.spotify.com/album/5a5eHBTZbbHPSTnQo5PNKz?si=s3I6w0WuT1ueOUnkv43c_w
Finally a new video to enrich our life with classical music
Sorry for the long wait!
@@InsidetheScore Good things take time ;) Expect Bachs works
For The Series:La Mer,Rite Of Spring,Also Sprach Zarathustra,New World Symphony
Great Video :)
I’ve always been intrigued, entranced, and sometimes frightened by the various Requiem Masses from Mozart (the fear of “Dies Irae”) through Andrew Lloyd Webber (the sad sublimity of “Pie Jesu”) and the pieces that call the Mass to mind (cf. Berlioz’s “War Requiem”). I’d love an episode or many on these.
Do you mean Britten's War Requiem? Great piece! And the Mozart too! Verdi Requiem I've done a video on. For something hauntingly beautiful try the Howells Requiem - as recorded by Trinity College Choir and Stephen Layton
Yes, Britten! Got my B-name composers mixed up. I’m pleading the late hour.
Please kindly do one on Mahler 8.
Awesome video! I'd love to hear you talk about Dvorak's 9th Symphony "From the New World," or Eine Alpensinfonie by Strauss!
Just Perfect! Very well done. Congrats from Brazil.
Yes the best score of the early 20th century
True so true every now and then one needs a musical time out.
Mercury has one of the best crescendos in all of classical music.
All very interesting. I absolutely love The Planets suite.