Which is your favorite "Planet" from Gustav Holst?

[nytemare]

My favorite Holst planet also happens to be my favorite planet.

Neptune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSJub1A1aIk

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's a toss up between Venus and Jupiter. I just heard an all organ version...

of the Planets. Interesting!

[nytemare]

3. I love Tomita's Planets.

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_plJalDgHA

[hippywife]

20. I love Tomita's, too.

Very cool. I haven't heard it in a while but I'm thinking either Venus or Jupiter. Or Saturn! They're all great. Even Mars, though it has an ominous overtone. :hi:

[Bicoastal]

2. I like Jupiter a lot, but let's face it, Mars is the highlight of the entire thing.

[Captain Hilts]

5. But Jupiter is perky and got a real popularity boost in The Right Stuff.

Jupiter:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. That's the first thing that came to my mind.....

....during the John Glenn blast off scene.

[bif]

4. His other compositions.

He did write some other great music.

[nytemare]

6. I love 1st Suite.

I love Holst and Debussy. Wonderful music.

[mainegreen]

7. Mars. Been my favorite since I was a toddler. It's brilliant.

[Captain Hilts]

14. I'd like to name a red cat 'Mars'. nt

[no name no slogan]

17. Mine too. I love the cheezy-assed live versions King Crimson did

Holst on Melotrons. Can't beat it.

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. Neptune is the farthest out in all senses.

When I first heard this music, I had no idea what I was listening to, but I pictured myself looking out the window of a spaceship that had just landed on another planet.

[nytemare]

9. I love the chorus.

So hauntingly beautiful.

[Lionel Mandrake]

10. Did you watch the Voyager 2 flyby of Neptune?

The year was 1989.

The TV show was called "Neptune All Night".

Fascinating!

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/neptune.html

[crimsonblue]

11. Pluto. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

13. STILL a planet to me. nt

[elleng]

12. Thanks SO MUCH for this 'exercise.'

NOW I'll actually make a study of the Suite!

[momto3]

15. Mars.

I've heard it a hundred times and still get chills.

[GCP]

23. Mars is the most frightening music I have ever heard

Always gives me chills

[MikeH]

18. Definitely Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-LNkuqq6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz0b4STz1lo

The first link above has a little bit of information; however I like the performance in the second link better.

Jupiter is definitely the highlight of the suite for me.

I like the peacefulness of Venus, the Bringer of Peace. I particularly like it as a relief after the heavy Mars, the Bringer of War.

I think my second favorite planet is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrBXtI1jd6k">Mercury, the Winged Messenger. I like having this particular movement, with its light and flighty nature, right before Jupiter, which I consider to be the highlight of the suite.

I particularly love the lilting melody in the middle of the Jupiter movement; I consider it to be the highlight of the movement and the highlight of the whole suite. I am almost sad when the melody is over in the movement.

After Jupiter I personally consider what follows in the suite to be anticlimactic. I particularly do not really enjoy the gloomy Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age, right after Jupiter.

Back in 1979, before the advent of CD's, I had a vinyl 12" disk of Holst's The Planets which was played at 45 RPM. The disk had Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter. Given how I feel about the rest of the suite, that seemed complete to me. It was something of a novelty seeing a 12" record which was played at 45 RPM. I remember the stereo turntable record changer I had at the time assumed that a record played at 45 RPM was 7", so after the record changer had let the record through, I had to turn it off and turn it on again and manually move the needle to the start of the record.

I remember that I was just a little bit disappointed when I learned that Holst's suite was about the astrological signs rather than the astronomical bodies. However I do have to note in particular that the peaceful Venus depicted in Holst's suite is totally different than the actual planet which is very hot (900 degrees F) and with a thick and toxic atmosphere, and clouds probably containing sulfuric acid.

Holst wrote his suite before Pluto was discovered, so his suite does not contain Pluto, which I see has been added by somebody else, which is nice. It has since been determined by the International Astronomical Union that Pluto is not really a planet, so Holst's suite as it was originally written is complete in itself.

I personally don't quite understand the emotional attachment that some people have to Pluto being a planet. For instance who, other than professional astronomers, have actually seen Pluto. I think Pluto is at least 1000 times dimmer than can be seen with the naked eye, and I don't think it can be seen through any telescopes that amateur observers of the sky would have.

I think Uranus and Neptune can be seen through small telescopes or binoculars (if one knows where to look), though I have never seen either of them myself.

[nytemare]

21. I agree about Venus

A sulfuric acid atmosphere with such astounding pressure that crushed many Russian probes is certainly no bringer of peace, or love, for that matter. However, the Holst version is very soothing to listen to.

[Catshrink]

24. MIne, too.

[SoxFan]

19. Mars

Now we know where John Williams found most of the Star Wars score!

[elleng]

22. After studying the subject, I'll say

JUPITER! Upbeat and melodic.

[NightWatcher]

25. Has to be Jupiter.....plus it's the most fun to play, rocking hard on the French Horn, hells yeah

[Danger Mouse]

26. Saturn, no contest. Mars is cool, too.