Gustav Holst Mars
- 7 years ago
The Planets - Op. 32 by Gustav Holst Mars - The bringer of War being played by US Air Force Band
These are actual pictures of Mars, as downloaded from NASA.
The Planets, op. 32, is an orchestral suite by Holst, written between 1914-16. Each movement is named after a planet on the Solar System, and its corresponding astrological character. With the exception of Earth, all planets known during the work's composition are present. Since its premiere, the suite has been enduringly popular, widely performed and recorded. It was not heard in complete public performance until some years after it was finished: there were incomplete and/or private presentations first. The work was originally scored for a piano duet -and an organ for 'Neptune', as the piano felt 'too percusive for a world as mysterious and distant as that planet'. The orchestral incarnation showed the influence of Schoenberg, Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov. Its novel sonorities helped make the work an immediate success with audiences at home and abroad. Although The Planets remains Holst's most popular work, the composer himself did not count it among his best creations and later in life complained that its popularity had completely surpassed his other works.
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A number of academic studies have shown that listening to classical music benefits test scores, the brain, sleep patterns and stress levels.
Children who listened to classical music for one hour a day over a six-month period exhibited brain changes that indicated greater levels of relaxation — even when the children were not asked to pay attention to the music.
If testing anxiety causes sleepless nights, classical music can help soothe insomnia. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto found that tuning into classical music before bedtime helped people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Works by Brahms, Handel, Mozart, Strauss and Bach were effective sleep aids because they use rhythms and tonal patterns that create a meditative mood and slow brainwaves, the study found.
These are actual pictures of Mars, as downloaded from NASA.
The Planets, op. 32, is an orchestral suite by Holst, written between 1914-16. Each movement is named after a planet on the Solar System, and its corresponding astrological character. With the exception of Earth, all planets known during the work's composition are present. Since its premiere, the suite has been enduringly popular, widely performed and recorded. It was not heard in complete public performance until some years after it was finished: there were incomplete and/or private presentations first. The work was originally scored for a piano duet -and an organ for 'Neptune', as the piano felt 'too percusive for a world as mysterious and distant as that planet'. The orchestral incarnation showed the influence of Schoenberg, Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov. Its novel sonorities helped make the work an immediate success with audiences at home and abroad. Although The Planets remains Holst's most popular work, the composer himself did not count it among his best creations and later in life complained that its popularity had completely surpassed his other works.
Subscribe to Kelly's Classical Music!
A number of academic studies have shown that listening to classical music benefits test scores, the brain, sleep patterns and stress levels.
Children who listened to classical music for one hour a day over a six-month period exhibited brain changes that indicated greater levels of relaxation — even when the children were not asked to pay attention to the music.
If testing anxiety causes sleepless nights, classical music can help soothe insomnia. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto found that tuning into classical music before bedtime helped people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Works by Brahms, Handel, Mozart, Strauss and Bach were effective sleep aids because they use rhythms and tonal patterns that create a meditative mood and slow brainwaves, the study found.