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MARS, THE BRINGER OF WAR
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THE 1ST MOVEMENT IN 'THE PLANETS', THE EPIC 7 MOVEMENT ORCHESTRAL SUITE BY BRITISH COMPOSER GUSTAV HOLST, COMPLETED IN 1916. THIS IS THE MOST FAMOUS MOVEMENT WITH ITS WAR LIKE RELENTLESS POUNDING & OMINOUS HARMONIES. HE ARRANGED THIS FOR BAND IN 1924
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Contemporary band compositions, classical music arrangements, marches, jazz, symphonies, overtures. A collection from bands that I have played in throughout hi
Hello and welcome! "Symphonic Band Performances" is a compilation of recordings from several high school and college bands that I played in including the TMEA (Texas) All State Band, the TMEA Region X All Region Band, the Interlochen Arts Academy National Music Camp, the Cal Poly Tech Band, San Luis Obispo, the USAF Golden West Band, and recordings from my h.s. band, Beaumont H.S. and a few band recordings that were passed down to me. Also included are various All State groups and college and university bands. I participated and played in the large majority of these recordings. There are no professional recordings here and every recording is Public Domain. Most are available for free download. Each song has been converted from the original analog or digital source and edited with Audacity or Dak software. In the majority of these recordings, I play the tenor sax or alto sax, b flat or e flat clarinet, or directing. I was drum major for 2 years in high school, I have a BA from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I studied music ed, composition and theory. I had about 500 more recordings I was planning to digitize and upload, but this past Nov. 20th, my home was completely destroyed by fire, and all the contents, including all my music and instruments. So, this is it. Please feel free to post a comment here or on my member page. If you like, please become a fan by clicking "I'm a fan" below.
Song Info
Genre
World • World General
Charts
Peak #24
Peak in subgenre #6
Author
Gustav Holst - 1924
Rights
public domain
Uploaded
October 13, 2009
Track Files
MP3
MP3 11.4 MB • 192 kbps • 8:17
Story behind the song
This is performed by the Wheaton College Concert Band, from Wheaton, Illinois, in 1973. "Mars, The Bringer of War" is the first movement of Gustav Holst's monumental work, The Planets. It was written between 1914 and 1916, and many historians have "taken it for granted that Mars was inspired" by the First World War (from Holst: A Biography by Imogen Holst). With its relentless ostinato pounding and its ominous harmonic movement, Mars and the rest of The Planets suite has become one of the most recognizable works of the 20th century, influencing a score of composers (you can hear a not-too subtle hint of Mars in John Williams famous Imperial March from the Star Wars Trilogy). The concept of the work is rather than astronomical (which is why Earth is not included). The idea was suggested to Holst by Clifford Bax, who introduced him to astrology when the two were amongst a small group of English artists holidaying in Majorca in the spring of 1913; Holst became quite a devotee of the subject, and liked to cast friends' horoscopes for fun. Each movement is intended to convey ideas and emotions associated with the influence of the planets on the psyche, not the Roman deities. Holst also used Alan Leo's book What is a Horoscope? as a springboard for his own ideas, as well as for the subtitles (i.e., "The Bringer of...") for the movements. Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (England) in 1874. He is most famous for his orchestral suite, The Planets, but is also well-known for his two military suites for band (Suite in E-flat, Op. 28 No. 1, and Suite in F, Op. 28 No. 2), his Hammersmith, the St. Paul's Suite for string orchestra, and various smaller orchestral works. Holst was influenced by Hindu mysticism and spirituality, as well as astronomy and astrology. This led to his interest in composing a suite based around the supposed "personalities" ascribed to the planets in the book "What Is A Horoscope?" by Alan Leo. The Planets was composed in two stages, with Mars, Venus, and Jupiter coming first, and Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Mercury composed after a break to work on other pieces. While Holst lived to see the discovery of Pluto, he chose not to add it to the suite. Surprisingly, Holst tired of the The Planets near the end of his life, believing that it took attention away from other compositions he felt to be superior. The companion piece Pluto, the Renewer, which is sometimes played with the full suite, was composed by Colin Matthews in 2000.
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ALEXIS PATRICK
Apr 16, 2009
Hello Ivan, Beautiful performance. I am enjoying.