G. Holst - The planets Op. 32 - Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity - Berliner Philharmoniker - H. von Karajan
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. With the exception of Earth (the centre of all yet influentially inert astrologically), all the astrological planets known during the work's composition are represented.
Instrumentation
The work is scored for an exceptionally large orchestra:
Woodwind: 4 flutes (3rd doubling 1st piccolo; 4th doubling 2nd piccolo and a "bass flute in G", actually an alto flute), 3 oboes (3rd doubling bass oboe), an English horn, 3 clarinets in B-flat, a bass clarinet in B-flat, 3 bassoons and a contrabassoon
Brass: 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones (2 tenor and 1 bass), a "tenor tuba" (euphonium in B-flat) and a bass tuba
Keyboards: a celesta, and an organ
Percussion: 6 timpani (2 players, 3 drums each except in "Uranus" having 4 drums for 1st and 2 drums for 2nd), a bass drum, a snare drum, cymbals, a triangle, a tam-tam, a tambourine, a glockenspiel, a xylophone, and tubular bells
Strings: 2 harps, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, and double basses
Voices: ("Neptune" only), 2 three-part women's choruses (SSA) located in an adjoining room which is to be screened from the audience
The suite has seven movements, each named after a planet and its corresponding astrological character (see Planets in astrology):
1.Mars, the Bringer of War
2.Venus, the Bringer of Peace
3.Mercury, the Winged Messenger
4.Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
5.Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
6.Uranus, the Magician
7.Neptune, the Mystic
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets
The Stravinskyan white-note bustle of the joyous opening bars of Jupiter brings in a feeling of happiness, abundance and even mirth. The high spirits are interrupted by startling brass fanfares in F-sharp major which herald the andante maestoso section, probably one of the most famous aspirational melodies in the world. At the first performance Vaughan Williams felt that it had a national anthem-like quality about it. When the melody became a hymm in the early 1920s to the words “I Vow to thee my Country” it achieved this status but lost its universality. As the years pass the hymm has become less known and so the melody can revert to its original non-nationalistic, aspirational purpose.
-Words by Raymond Head
http://www.holstmuseum.org.uk/music-the-planets-suite-jupiter.htm
