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I listened to The Planets by the English composer, Gustav Holst. His work was played frequently during the 20 th Century, but it wasn’t until the Planets that he became well known. Holst had a shy personality, so he wasn’t all that happy that he gained the popularity that he did. He influenced many English composers, including Edmund Rubbra. However, excluding The Planets and a few other pieces, his music wasn’t very accessible until the 1980’s.
The Planets is a composition of 7 songs, each dedicated to a different planet. This is Sci-Fi because of its connection to outer space and speculation of what the planets “sound/feel” like. Each track, despite it not being Holst's intention, relate to their roman name and god. Honestly, I could not rank the album as a whole because each piece is so unique to itself. Instead, I ranked each song.
Mars, the 1 st movement, is very structured, with marching sounds and a kettle about to boil over. It reminds me of battle or war. I rated it a 7/10.
Then there was Venus, the 2 nd movement, which reminds me of Aphrodite. It starts off softly and reminds me of an innocent love. It’s very soft and has flute, violin, and oboe solos. 4/10.
Then we moved on to Mercury. The song is a bit repetitive and is constantly rising and falling in dynamics, like ocean waves. 7/10.
After that is Jupiter, the most famous of the 7 movements. Jupiter has a great start, full of fun marching and almost seems to push the listeners along. During the second half of the song, it sounds very grand and stuck up, a lot like the Roman god it is named after. 10/10.
Continuing to the 5 th movement, Saturn starts off nothing like the others. It’s mysterious and creeping along, like it’s a predator stalking its prey. It really shows its emotions when there is a trumpet solo. 8/10.
Second to last is Uranus. I really liked this one, the drums played a big role and were feisty. The steelpan also adds a fun touch. I love the crescendos that it does. 9/10.
Last, but not least, the 7 th movement; Neptune. Off the bat, the first thing I think of is Scooby-Doo. Its band heavy, with not very many places where the orchestra rises above a whisper. I love the harp solo. The singers at the end add vibes (whether their good or bad is up to the listener). 7/10.
My overall rating, if I must give one is 7.5/10. There were some great songs full of complicated emotions and contrasting dynamics, which made it interesting. My only complaint was that sometimes the softness of some of the songs made me stop actively listening and I would have to rewind once I realized my distraction. I would recommend this album to any that enjoys classical music. It’s a banger and a classic that can set a foundation for any future interest in Sci-fi related music interest or passion.