Description

Book Synopsis
This book is the first comprehensive guide to Holst's popular orchestral suite The Planets. It considers the music in detail and places the work in its historical context, describing the circumstances of its composition and its meteoric rise to popular acclaim. Starting with Holst's particular interest in astrology, Professor Greene explores the plotting of the work's central melodic and harmonic gestures to reveal a profound statement of human character and Holst's own psychological journey toward the mystic state. Using parallels in the verbal arts Greene weaves a fascinating tale of musical communication. An understanding of The Planets is crucial to a full appreciation of Holst's profound late works, and Greene's systematic appraisal provides the first revealing light in this direction.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; Introduction: musical character and a theory of musical rhetoric; 1. Holst and the two Londons; 2. Genesis; 3. Reception; 4. The character plots (1): Mars to Mercury; 5. The character plots (2): Jupiter to Neptune; 6. On becoming The Planets: the overall design; Epilogue; Appendices; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

Holst The Planets Cambridge Music Handbooks

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    A Paperback by Richard Greene

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      Book details

      Publisher Cambridge University Press
      Published 3/16/1995 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN-13 9780521456333
      978-0521456333
      ISBN-10 0521456339
      Also in:
      Composers and songwriters Musical instruments

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      This book is the first comprehensive guide to Holst's popular orchestral suite The Planets. It considers the music in detail and places the work in its historical context, describing the circumstances of its composition and its meteoric rise to popular acclaim. Starting with Holst's particular interest in astrology, Professor Greene explores the plotting of the work's central melodic and harmonic gestures to reveal a profound statement of human character and Holst's own psychological journey toward the mystic state. Using parallels in the verbal arts Greene weaves a fascinating tale of musical communication. An understanding of The Planets is crucial to a full appreciation of Holst's profound late works, and Greene's systematic appraisal provides the first revealing light in this direction.

      Table of Contents
      Acknowledgements; Introduction: musical character and a theory of musical rhetoric; 1. Holst and the two Londons; 2. Genesis; 3. Reception; 4. The character plots (1): Mars to Mercury; 5. The character plots (2): Jupiter to Neptune; 6. On becoming The Planets: the overall design; Epilogue; Appendices; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

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