İhsan Doğramacı Special Concert

Our choir performed Holst's The Planets after Gülsin Onay's Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in the first half.

Gustav HOLST (1874-1934)

Gezegenler, Op. 32

For the suite in Which he defined the astrological characters of the planets, the composer said "Each movement represents a planet without reference to their astrological or mythological names. The point here is  to stress each planet’s religious and national effects on the flow of human history. For instance, Jupiter, which is believed to be the bringer of jollity, is represented as such.

In the first planet out of the seven, Mars, "the Bringer of War”, the barbarically emphasized rhythm and the repeated theme are reinforced by the plucking of the left string of the strings, harps, and drums. The central motif is based  on fagots and horns. The fanfare of the brass instruments prevents the fading out of the atmosphere of war so that the movement can end in powerful chords. Venus, "the Bringer of Peace", is in E flat major and has an idyll quality. This atmosphere is stressed by the theme vocalized first by the solo French horn and then by the flute.

Mercury, ”the Winged Messenger", is a short scherzo.  It starts with a rapid, energetic figure. The themes are displayed through various instruments. The movement ends on a light and humorous tone. Jupiter, "the Bringer of Jollity" is a rapid and playful scherzo. "The Bringer of Old Age", Saturn, on the other hand, commences in a gloomy mood, with the introductory scores of flute and harp on a constant line. The opening theme is repeated in the coda, but with a different variety.

The interesting brass wind instruments, organ glissandos in "the Magician" Uranus are reminiscent of Paul  Dukas’ novice magician through small motifs. In the  last movement, "the Mystic" Neptune, the texture of the structure becomes more important than the themes. At the time, Neptune which was at a 4000-million-kilometer distance was believed to be the farthest planet in the  solar system, and since Pluto was to be discovered in  1930, Neptune was considered the farthest, the least apprehensible and the most mystic of the planets. This mystic atmosphere is reinforced by the women’s chorus hidden in the background whose vocalization is heard as if coming from space and fades out as if it were moving away.

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