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April 05, 2005
Holst: The Planets
On the way back from work I gave Stockhausen a rest and listened to Holst instead. Every time I hear Mars: The Bringer of War the two climaxes sound like predictions of the wars in Europe, but the piece in its entirety sounds like the soundtrack to a science fiction epic à la Star Wars.
Holst does glory and destruction better than love and beauty. Venus somehow lacks part of her depth. The Winged Messenger sounded to me more like a fountain. Maybe part of my problem with the delicate pieces is the level of road noise in my car.
If you want a good giggle, try the Midi version from AquarianAge.org. I'm listening to Mercury now using timidity. Holst's Planets, the mid-80s Casio keyboard version.
Posted by Mark at April 5, 2005 08:58 PM