This is a fantastic performance. Charles Mackerras was a wonderful conductor. He wasn't an empty showman, but treated the music with a real integrity, respect and intelligence. And yet, he produced awesome, thrilling music. This is a powerful rendition of Mars. The climax at 1'15 gave me goose bumps. I missed this when it was first broadcast. He is sorely missed. RIP Charles. Thank you so much for posting :-)
I know classical purists are probably a bit fed up of people likening this to John Williams' Star Wars score, but it was my appreciation of Star Wars that alerted me to Holst's The Planets in the first place, and it is now firmly amongst my favourite albums of all time.
I know what you mean. This piece must surely have an effect on modern composers - Gustav made such a good example with Mars! I expect you have, or maybe will, notice the "copying" the style of Vaughan Williams in some films - open country scenes perhaps - sorry I can`t give you a firm example. In one of the Star-trek films, Holst`s "Neptune The Mystic" seems to have influenced the music here. It is the episode where an alien force starts taking over the ship and it is drifting through endless clouds of mysterious gasses and space dust etc etc.
If your into Super Sentai from Japan (which was made into Power Rangers in the west), the villains in the 1988 season Liveman had their music theme based on this piece of music.
A work of genius. Brought to life by another amazing orchestra...anyone else hear Star Wars?..this heavily influenced John Williams. And you can certainly hear it.
www.DrumsTheWord.com Yes, first time I heard this many years ago I thought of Star Wars! This is obviously just a blast (literally) to play live, too :-)
www.DrumsTheWord.com: Williams is his own man influenced by many as Beethoven was influenced by Haydn and Mozart. In Star Wars you definitely hear this as well as Prokofiev's Scythian Suite and Alexander Nevsky. The Battle on the Ice from Alexander Nevsky is as close to the contemporary film scores as you are going to get. But all of this music is influenced too. Stravinsky is definitely influenced by Moussorgsky and Prokofiev is influenced by Tchaikovsky. These masters are influenced by Berlioz's Witches Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastiique. And Berlioz is influenced by Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz. And von Weber whether he liked it or not was influenced by all of Beethoven Symphonies. So composers are a product of what comes before. .
You would do well to listen to MacKerras conducting the same piece with the RLPO recorded in Philharmonic Hall , Liverpool in 1989 ( available here on you tube ) . Both performances are fantastic yet the Liverpool Phil has the edge in acoustics I believe.
***** The piece Hans Zimmer wrote for 'The Battle of Carthage' Coliseum scene in 'Gladiator' is pretty much a carbon copy of 4:16 to around the 5 minute mark. I think there was actually a lawsuit pertaining to it.
I've watched this so many times. Tears of pure admiration for the orchestra , they play as one entity .it's pure amazement pure humility to watch such perfection play such a powerful piece of music .I can't express the words for way this piece of music ,tears streaming ,lips trembling, tight lipped to smile to open mouthed joy .....
Super mario Bros 3 the boat stage its a reference the start of this majestic piece!... Congratulations Holst, One of the best pieces of music ever written
This whole suite gives me the chills, its so cool, fantastic and simply a wonderful composition. I can trace themes from the music in modern classic movies including star wars, jaws, alien 2, minority report, gladiator and others. Big Up Holst and cheers to all that appreciate this creation.
This is absolutely the most awe-inspiring classical piece to date!! 'STAR WARS' resonates through this. This was how that awesome soundtrack was born!! BRAVO to HOLST & JOHN WILLIAMS for giving us such gifts, in that order of course.
I remember watching the film "The Battle Of Britain" when I was young and this piece was in there and it was so significant as there was no other sound
Holst was interviewed in Rolling Stone and cited Star Wars as a major influence. When told the music was composed by John Williams he responded "whatever man, it's an absolute banger!"
This is my favorite Classical Music piece ever. I never get tired of listening to this and it's the perfect piece to listen to when you need a pick me up.
This is so Star Wars, intimidating too. I'd love to be able to play in an orchestra or along side Frank Zappa's line up from 73' ish. In the words of the great man himself "music is the best" no truer word spoken Frank.
Holst wrote the piece between 1914 and 1916, so, as it currently stands, 97 years ago. According to Wikipedia, "the premiere was at the Queen's Hall on 29 September 1918," whereas the first complete public performance was given in London by the London Symphony Orchestra on 15 November 1920.
Just found Holst's fantastic music yesterday. It's absolutly impressive... Somehow the Daleks from Doctor Who came into my mind when I was listening to this one. Oh my^^
Got here from Geezer Butler's comments about how he and Tony Iommi were playing around with the notes of this song back in 1969 and came up with the riff for "Black Sabbath". The band was called Earth then and soon changed to Black Sabbath after their signature song.
I SO love the British! Only they keep the AWESOME styling and FANTASTIC finesse that is the Classical Pops alive and well!! I heard a Boston Pops Orchestra recording of this piece, and it SUCKED SO BAND, I tossed it into my fireplace!! That's why when I want to hear GREAT classical literature, I first seek out British ensembles! And I'm an American, too!
JoefromNJ1 Probably jazz, not sure for 12-tone as he's made fun of several ideas that would eventually become commonplace in 12-tone music in A Musical Joke. Yeah, I'd see him rocking out to Brubeck or Sinatra.
This is such an amazing piece, cannot imagine how much fun to play live! Some of the inspiration for John Williams' Star Wars theme. This is also great and very cathartic to listen to if you are irate :-D
As a band director and a trombone player, I LOVE this AWESOME piece of literature. A LOT of band nerds, like me, either loved playing it or are DYING to play it! I've played it, but it was an arrangement written for a Middle School Band (in other words, not that great, but serviceable). I like how the ending was drawn out so much. Some do it too fast, others a bit longer. This was a nice medium of the extremes! Also, this piece inspired a movie script that I'm currently writing!
Always amazes me to see audiences watching performances like this remain stock still. I can't help it and have to stop myself from bouncing around in my seat like an idiot (still do but just careful to tone it down for the sake of others) but the first time I saw the Philharmonic play this live I absolutely shit my pants. Honest to God from 3:15 I started slowly sliding down my seat knowing we were gonna hit the “Shit the bed scary” part and I just melted like hot butter dripping off toast. Nobody else moved a muscle I don't even know how they can't be physically affected at all by music like this.
SPACE 1999 used this one in their 'super soap suds' episode - even in that weirdness it still was brilliant...My favourite of all the suite...you can imagine a Martian invasion force heading for Earth with this blaring out as their Imperial March....
Wow, there are not many other music genres that can be so powerful and moving if you just devote and listen to it. Plus, this piece reminds me of Star Wars haha.
Gustav Holst epic win. Hey John Williams, stop stealing from this guy to make music for Star Wars saga... The Planets suite and this movement in particular have all ingridients to make one of the best compositions ever IMHO. Thx 4 posting this.
Symphony X . The Divine Wings Of Tragedy brought me here, cause they play a section of this song on the intro, and fucking totally worth it. This is one of the most epic compositions of all time. Im so happy, I need to listen this all day
Hold on there Steve, I can't speak for the other composers, but I've dedicated a large amount of my life to studying Debussy. I've firmly come to the conclusion that he would have enjoyed the whole principle of withholding applause until the end of a work. Think of it like a book: you don't cheer after reading a single chapter. Instead, it grips you until the work's completion. I feel Debussy would have enjoyed such care and thought in works like La Mer where the art is meant to impact you fully
A lot grew up from this... Black sabbath has cited this as being the biggest influence (even lifting a riff from this) for their music and more specifically the song Black Sabbath on their first album...
I always picture an alien watching an orchestra play this. Tuba's and french horns and all these instruments of twisty shiny metal with fidgets and levers and buttons and such, looks like something from an alien race. Amazing performance.
i'm pretty sure John Williams stated that the themes he wrote (especially the main theme) for the StarWars franchise were based off of Holst's Planets.
John Williams is genius enough himself to not downright copy anything, but there is no doubt Holst had a major influence on him! I appreciate them both immensely.
One of those songs that you just cant control some actions with? Yeah this is one of them. All I can do is laugh because its so very well played. I love it
![Proms 2016 - Gustav Holst - The Planets [Edward Gardner, National Youth Orchestra]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MgIOBa4vK2E/mqdefault.jpg)
this piece is the definition of epic nothing more needs to be said
This is a fantastic performance. Charles Mackerras was a wonderful conductor. He wasn't an empty showman, but treated the music with a real integrity, respect and intelligence. And yet, he produced awesome, thrilling music. This is a powerful rendition of Mars. The climax at 1'15 gave me goose bumps. I missed this when it was first broadcast. He is sorely missed. RIP Charles.
Thank you so much for posting :-)
I know classical purists are probably a bit fed up of people likening this to John Williams' Star Wars score, but it was my appreciation of Star Wars that alerted me to Holst's The Planets in the first place, and it is now firmly amongst my favourite albums of all time.
Holst influenced Williams :) As they are alike
I know what you mean. This piece must surely have an effect on modern composers - Gustav made such a good example with Mars! I expect you have, or maybe will, notice the "copying" the style of Vaughan Williams in some films - open country scenes perhaps - sorry I can`t give you a firm example. In one of the Star-trek films, Holst`s "Neptune The Mystic" seems to have influenced the music here. It is the episode where an alien force starts taking over the ship and it is drifting through endless clouds of mysterious gasses and space dust etc etc.
If your into Super Sentai from Japan (which was made into Power Rangers in the west), the villains in the 1988 season Liveman had their music theme based on this piece of music.
Zimmer's Gladiator sound track uses Mars numerous times.
Was Williams around before Holst?
7:15 ~ "*page turn* Owned it. Get that shit outta here." haha most satisfying page turn in the history of conductors.
Got the euphonium piece for this for a concert in a few months. Awesome piece!
Loved it too Dale. Euphonium player myself back in the day.
A work of genius. Brought to life by another amazing orchestra...anyone else hear Star Wars?..this heavily influenced John Williams. And you can certainly hear it.
Holst is the father of modern movie music.
More like Alien music. Still great :)
Check out The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. Williams was definitely influenced by that
www.DrumsTheWord.com Yes, first time I heard this many years ago I thought of Star Wars! This is obviously just a blast (literally) to play live, too :-)
www.DrumsTheWord.com: Williams is his own man influenced by many as Beethoven was influenced by Haydn and Mozart. In Star Wars you definitely hear this as well as Prokofiev's Scythian Suite and Alexander Nevsky. The Battle on the Ice from Alexander Nevsky is as close to the contemporary film scores as you are going to get.
But all of this music is influenced too. Stravinsky is definitely influenced by Moussorgsky and Prokofiev is influenced by Tchaikovsky. These masters are influenced by Berlioz's Witches Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastiique. And Berlioz is influenced by Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz. And von Weber whether he liked it or not was influenced by all of Beethoven Symphonies.
So composers are a product of what comes before.
.
0:06-0:09 this is only live performance I've found where the timpani crescendos like that and it's absolutely brilliant.
You would do well to listen to MacKerras conducting the same piece with the RLPO recorded in Philharmonic Hall , Liverpool in 1989 ( available here on you tube ) . Both performances are fantastic yet the Liverpool Phil has the edge in acoustics I believe.
So funny to find you here but ig it makes sense your channel uploads a lot of ST music and it tends to be orchestral/classical
i can't think of any movie scene this could accompany, it's just too epic. goosebumps every time
***** The piece Hans Zimmer wrote for 'The Battle of Carthage' Coliseum scene in 'Gladiator' is pretty much a carbon copy of 4:16 to around the 5 minute mark.
I think there was actually a lawsuit pertaining to it.
Well, the ending pretty much influenced what John Williams did for the opening scene of Star Wars, so...
***** Can definitely hear the similarity.
I've watched this so many times.
Tears of pure admiration for the orchestra , they play as one entity .it's pure amazement pure humility to watch such perfection play such a powerful piece of music .I can't express the words for way this piece of music ,tears streaming ,lips trembling, tight lipped to smile to open mouthed joy .....
This is a fantastic interpretation of Mars - congrats to the orchestra and director
Super mario Bros 3 the boat stage its a reference the start of this majestic piece!... Congratulations Holst, One of the best pieces of music ever written
I played (and loved) euphonium in high school, so this is near and dear to my heart. Low brass is where the fun's at!
Wow! Great performance!
This whole suite gives me the chills, its so cool, fantastic and simply a wonderful composition. I can trace themes from the music in modern classic movies including star wars, jaws, alien 2, minority report, gladiator and others. Big Up Holst and cheers to all that appreciate this creation.
This is absolutely the most awe-inspiring classical piece to date!! 'STAR WARS' resonates through this. This was how that awesome soundtrack was born!! BRAVO to HOLST & JOHN WILLIAMS for giving us such gifts, in that order of course.
We did The Planets Suite in our highschool marching.. It was awesome!!
What a wonderfully riveting performance!
Without this song, we would never have metal.
Gustav Holst - Planets Suite. Written more than 100 years ago. I bet every so called "star wars" tune grew up from it. Absoultely genius piece
RIP maestro Mackerras
The best live version on youtube I have been able to find.
Edward Gardner & The NYO at The 2016 Proms has some good ones too :D
Mars in the best in the whole suit.
+ahritculesei andrei whole
+James Klutz Thanks! :D
It ranks on a whole other level
That euphonium player. Amazing!
I remember watching the film "The Battle Of Britain" when I was young and this piece was in there and it was so significant as there was no other sound
Holst was interviewed in Rolling Stone and cited Star Wars as a major influence. When told the music was composed by John Williams he responded "whatever man, it's an absolute banger!"
Imagine if you played this in war, the enemy will be fucked 💀
This is my favorite Classical Music piece ever. I never get tired of listening to this and it's the perfect piece to listen to when you need a pick me up.
A masterpiece.
If more exciting and adventurous music has ever been written, I have yet to hear it. And it's almost 100 years old!
***** lol im pretty sure theres no sound in space
jimbo jones
There is. We just can't hear it. Check out "interstellar medium" on Wikipedia.
This is so Star Wars, intimidating too. I'd love to be able to play in an orchestra or along side Frank Zappa's line up from 73' ish. In the words of the great man himself "music is the best" no truer word spoken Frank.
I agree. Williams has been tremendously influenced by Holst to the point that, sometimes, I can't distinguish them!
I see this live in the Royal Festival Hall in London, this does it no justice unless your there seeing it live!
This speaks to my soul!
Magnificent! I was there live !
euphonium!!!!
Holst wrote the piece between 1914 and 1916, so, as it currently stands, 97 years ago. According to Wikipedia, "the premiere was at the Queen's Hall on 29 September 1918," whereas the first complete public performance was given in London by the London Symphony Orchestra on 15 November 1920.
Merci pour votre mélodieuse interprétation
Absolutely f***ing brilliant!!
Good God i'd love to see that.
I would be in a bandmasters paradise if I had a French Horn section that big! AWESOME!!!!
Wonderful !!!
that is so awesome!
Just found Holst's fantastic music yesterday. It's absolutly impressive...
Somehow the Daleks from Doctor Who came into my mind when I was listening to this one. Oh my^^
I want this played at my funeral as I am bought into the church.
Chris Butler Most epic funeral ever!
It will be!
Chris Butler same!
SOMEONE COULD NOT FILL IN ONE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS FANTASTIC MACKERRAS ???
great! powerful and exiting. BBC Phil is excellent. thank you very much for uplording.
'We're in the pipe. 5 by 5...'
I've never got that quote in Aliens but this song reminds me of it.
It gets my hype in the morning. Best get up song ever. Ever.
2:10 scouts have just spotted a large army headed our way and the war horn is alerting everyone.
6 hours remain till November 8, 2016. God help us all.
lol
this song is EPIC! i absolutely love it.
Im a major fan of Classical music but this just blew me away, this is so epic i got chills down my spine and goose pimples
I cant wait, I'm playing this in youth orchestra soon :D
Finally I have found a video of The Planets performed at a venue more than 5 people have heard of.
Mad Max!!!
Perfect! Awesome music.
This is FRIGGING great!!!
Got here from Geezer Butler's comments about how he and Tony Iommi were playing around with the notes of this song back in 1969 and came up with the riff for "Black Sabbath". The band was called Earth then and soon changed to Black Sabbath after their signature song.
Hands down best it was ever played
Excellent choice of timpani mallets in the intro. I dig the cutting tone
Holst is specific, he wrote in the score "with wooden mallets"
I SO love the British! Only they keep the AWESOME styling and FANTASTIC finesse that is the Classical Pops alive and well!! I heard a Boston Pops Orchestra recording of this piece, and it SUCKED SO BAND, I tossed it into my fireplace!! That's why when I want to hear GREAT classical literature, I first seek out British ensembles! And I'm an American, too!
I wonder what Mozart would have thought of 20th Century music like this.
Joel Carli he would most likely have preferred jazz or 12 tone over this.
JoefromNJ1
Probably jazz, not sure for 12-tone as he's made fun of several ideas that would eventually become commonplace in 12-tone music in A Musical Joke. Yeah, I'd see him rocking out to Brubeck or Sinatra.
4:15 the definition of epic and powerful, and the brass isn't even in yet so just wait till that for that and then its a damn powerhouse omg
What are you talking about the trumpets were already in they were just playing higher notes.
MAGNIFICENT!!!
wow
just just wow
Masterpeice!
This is such an amazing piece, cannot imagine how much fun to play live! Some of the inspiration for John Williams' Star Wars theme. This is also great and very cathartic to listen to if you are irate :-D
that band is huge! 7! horns!
this is a great recording of it, quite inspirational !
As a band director and a trombone player, I LOVE this AWESOME piece of literature. A LOT of band nerds, like me, either loved playing it or are DYING to play it! I've played it, but it was an arrangement written for a Middle School Band (in other words, not that great, but serviceable). I like how the ending was drawn out so much. Some do it too fast, others a bit longer. This was a nice medium of the extremes! Also, this piece inspired a movie script that I'm currently writing!
he shows emotions with his hands and his baton! :)
BOSS FIGHT MUSIC! yah!
hah almost as epic as in God of War 3 ey?
:)
yes. totally agree.
Always amazes me to see audiences watching performances like this remain stock still. I can't help it and have to stop myself from bouncing around in my seat like an idiot (still do but just careful to tone it down for the sake of others) but the first time I saw the Philharmonic play this live I absolutely shit my pants.
Honest to God from 3:15 I started slowly sliding down my seat knowing we were gonna hit the “Shit the bed scary” part and I just melted like hot butter dripping off toast. Nobody else moved a muscle I don't even know how they can't be physically affected at all by music like this.
SPACE 1999 used this one in their 'super soap suds' episode - even in that weirdness it still was brilliant...My favourite of all the suite...you can imagine a Martian invasion force heading for Earth with this blaring out as their Imperial March....
EPIC.
@Katertot75 How can a bunch of ordinary, everyday people produce something so beautiful? It is just amazing........and makes me so proud to be a Brit.
Wow, there are not many other music genres that can be so powerful and moving if you just devote and listen to it. Plus, this piece reminds me of Star Wars haha.
John Williams was an avid listener of Gustav Holst! It shouldn't be much of a surprise that he took some inspiration from this song!
Andrew Nguyen George Lucas actually played this piece to John Williams, saying, "I want something like this".
Good call, George!
alsome!!!!! i cAN FEEL THE MUSIC IN ME. this is head to head with jupiter
Why aren't classical music crowds moshing and crowd surfing to this?! This music was made to move to!
A little while ago a guy got thrown out for starting a mosh pit and crowdsurfing at a performance of The Messiah.
I headbang to this music on a regular basis! \m/
Nice
Yet another British guy! Cheltenham has one of their most famous residents here!
I play rome II total war battles to this, espcially when I play as rome
This is amazing!
Gustav Holst epic win. Hey John Williams, stop stealing from this guy to make music for Star Wars saga... The Planets suite and this movement in particular have all ingridients to make one of the best compositions ever IMHO. Thx 4 posting this.
Brutal, encantame!!!!
No correction needed, it's all been said before.
Check out Proms 2016 for Holst again: the youth orchestral.
Symphony X . The Divine Wings Of Tragedy brought me here, cause they play a section of this song on the intro, and fucking totally worth it. This is one of the most epic compositions of all time. Im so happy, I need to listen this all day
Man this music gives me goosebumps! I wished he would have held the end out a second or two longer. :-)
If I ever became a king this would be my nation's anthem.
Carl Sagan reading the transcript for Cosmos on this would probably be the greatest Live Performance of anything, ever.
6:48 "You're all clear kid. Now let's blow this thing and go home."
+afauxican_american you can also hear glimpses of the beginnings to the Imperial March. Also Hans Zimmers Gladiator opening fight scene
Try watching the "Battle of Yavin"scene to this piece!!
XD HAHA
Hold on there Steve, I can't speak for the other composers, but I've dedicated a large amount of my life to studying Debussy. I've firmly come to the conclusion that he would have enjoyed the whole principle of withholding applause until the end of a work. Think of it like a book: you don't cheer after reading a single chapter. Instead, it grips you until the work's completion. I feel Debussy would have enjoyed such care and thought in works like La Mer where the art is meant to impact you fully
What a piece! I was lucky to study it for GCSE Music. It influenced the intro to the song "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head.
I shiver whenever I hear 0:27.
4:28 speaking of John Williams,look at that French horn player
A lot grew up from this... Black sabbath has cited this as being the biggest influence (even lifting a riff from this) for their music and more specifically the song Black Sabbath on their first album...
I always picture an alien watching an orchestra play this. Tuba's and french horns and all these instruments of twisty shiny metal with fidgets and levers and buttons and such, looks like something from an alien race.
Amazing performance.
I'm not sure about when John Williams wrote the Star Wars OST, but nowadays I'm pretty sure the score for this is in the public domain.
i'm pretty sure John Williams stated that the themes he wrote (especially the main theme) for the StarWars franchise were based off of Holst's Planets.
I was playing this from my home last night for Trick-or-Treat. The teens were all asking me about it. I think I may have won a few converts.
John Williams is genius enough himself to not downright copy anything, but there is no doubt Holst had a major influence on him! I appreciate them both immensely.
One of those songs that you just cant control some actions with?
Yeah this is one of them.
All I can do is laugh because its so very well played.
I love it
The best way to phrase that, in my opinion, is that the music of "Star Wars" was inspired by the music of the "Star of War".