Gustav Holst’s The Planets is one of the emblematic works of the 20th century and one of the strongest examples for modern film music. Each movement is named after a planet and a mythological deity. In the title of each movement, Holst identifies a certain type of human quality or a characteristic of the human condition, a human emotion, experience or character. Five of the work’s seven movements will be performed in concert. Holst himself draws heavily on the mechanisms of the symphonic poem, but there is also a clear descriptive characterisation of the movements. Almost all movements are self-contained, closed tracks. One of the most famous parts of the work is the opening movement (Mars, the Bringer of War), the musical character of which is almost entirely echoed in John Williams’ Star Wars.
In the first half of the concert, Gábor Hollerung will offer an analysis of the piece in Hungarian. After the interval, the complete work will be performed without interruption.
