Williamsfan301 11 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 And the bartender would spike your milk for ordering it in a pub. I'd take a Sam Adams, good for getting the hooker spit out. Nah. He'd just give Nick some Bailey's.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie_twinkle 48 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 We Brits don't like warm beer, that's a misconception. We like out real ale and bitters to be room temperature (not chilled). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brigden 7 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I like my real ale and bitter to be as far away from me as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,524 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Saturn,Uranus,Neptune,Mercury.All the rest I like equally. P.s. DON'T MENTION PLUTO!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Pluto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neimoidian 14 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Williamsfan301 11 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Blucher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthHornPlayer 0 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Gustav Holst is an interesting figure. The Planets is perhaps the greatest orchestral work by an English composer. You can walk into any cd storeand see 5-8 recordings of this work. Probably more than Beethoven 5! Holst also wrote what is perhaps the most famous bandpiece of all time his suite for band. Other than that he is known for almost nothing else! I find that amazing.I have played the entire planets only once in the orchestra. It is a massive work that requires a very large orchestra and a choirin the last movment. It is interesting to note that planets are not in order from the sun, but the most distant ones are saved forlast. I think it is interesting how Holst treats the planets. Mars is the most violent planet with our "hero" getting it in the end whileVenus is the peaceful planet. We now know that the opposite of those two planets is true. You can't deny the greatness of Jupiter. Thereare some great tunes in there. Many think of this as the centerpiece of the work and climax, but I think that happens at the endof Saturn. A massive build of dissonance resolving in a beautiful way, like Saturn emerging from behind some distant heavenlybody anchoring the solar system with its great rings. Holst's writing is very unique and I think that the modern day composers owe a lot to this work. You can hear how it was used by JW in hismany outer space works. Holst does an amazing job of depicting the icy worlds of beyond. I suggest everyone take a listen!Enjoy!DHP\@() Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I'm a HUGE fan of The Planets, I have tons of stuff - approx. 10 different recordings (the collection is growing all the time), the version for 2 pianos, Holst's own recording, the Tomita version, the full score, the study score, the 2 pianos score, a great musicological study etc. My list:1. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age2. Neptune, the Mystic3. Venus, the Bringer of Peace4. Mars, the Bringer of War5. Uranus, the Magician6. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity7. Mercury, the Winged Messenger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Williamsfan301 11 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I still like Uranus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_vader 534 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I saw the Halle Orchestra play The Planets last Thursday at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. It was sensational! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 The twelfth concert in this year's BBC Proms series included a performance of Holst's The Planets with the BBC Philharmonic under Sir Charles Mackerras. The concert can be seen in full on BBC iPlayer or, if the link does not work (not sure if you can see it outside the UK), you can also listen to the audio stream only. The Planets starts at about one hour into the concert, although the first half is worth seeing too.EDIT: It looks like some kind soul has already loaded it onto YouTube. Click to view Mars then follow the links thereafter for the remaining movements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,012 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Holst? Another John Williams wannabe? Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 I would like for anyone here who is a fan of The Planets to listen to a real composer, like Hans Zimmer.Click here to view Mars Hm, that is faster than I am accustomed to, but I like it a lot. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Thanks for sharing, Omen II, a very well done interpretation and overall performance, impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I'm glad it was worth sharing! Did you notice the rarely seen bass oboe? I had never seen one before, indeed I had to do a bit of internet searching before I found out what the instrument was. It's being played by the girl sitting between the cor anglais and the 'regular' oboes; she has a very nice solo near the beginning of the Saturn movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datameister 2,042 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Not as rare as the Eb piccolo oboe heard in "Journey to the Island"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desplat13 1 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Didn't the popularity of "The Planets" kind of bother Holst and scare him off from writing anything like that again? I think I read that somewhere. Very curious figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Did you notice the rarely seen bass oboe? I had never seen one before, indeed I had to do a bit of internet searching before I found out what the instrument was. It's being played by the girl sitting between the cor anglais and the 'regular' oboes; she has a very nice solo near the beginning of the Saturn movement.Of course, I've seen and heard it on every performance of The Planets I attended. I guess the instrument's name more popular than bass oboe is a heckelphone, if you've heard it already. A fascinating instrument indeed, of course I always keep my ears sharp for its solo after Saturn's beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHerrera83 0 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 How about we put a spin to this discussion? If you wanted to make an ultimate compilation with the best performances of each individual piece, what would they be? I'm sure most agree Levine's Mars outshines most others, but what about the rest? I particularly like Gerhardt's Venus, but unfortunately I only have it on the "Nature's Music" disc, which stupidly mixes all tracks with some annoying ethereal effects. It's apity, because the recording is quite good. Anyone know if his Planets recordings are available elsewhere?I also like Williams's take on Jupiter, perhaps even more than Levine's, and I have a soft spot for Simon Rattle's (with the Philharmonia), but that's just because that was my very first recording of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I guess the instrument's name more popular than bass oboe is a heckelphone, if you've heard it already. A fascinating instrument indeed, of course I always keep my ears sharp for its solo after Saturn's beginning. I don't mean to piss on your cornflakes mate, but the bass oboe and heckelphone are actually slightly different instruments, although confusingly the heckelphone is often referred to as a bass oboe (Yeah, I know, five minutes of internet research and all of a sudden Damien's a world expert on the oboe family! ). The gentleman in your picture appears to be playing a heckelphone, but the bass oboe is a little smaller with a differently shaped bocal / mouthpiece. I found this useful picture and have been having fun trying to work out what the different instruments are.Top to bottom, I think they are:HECKELPHONEBASS OBOECOR ANGLAISOBOE D'AMOREOBOEPICCOLO OBOE / MUSETTEThe last one is the instrument that Datameister mentioned earlier as having been used in Jurassic Park. There is also a rather charming YouTube clip in which two young ladies discuss the bass oboe and its use in The Planets. Nice pussy just after the one minute mark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Sorry if I am venturing off-topic, but I was watching that video you linked to, Damien, and I saw in the Related Videos. Sweet Golly Moses, look at that thing! I never even knew one existed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Sorry if I am venturing off-topic, but I was watching that video you linked to, Damien, and I saw in the Related Videos. Sweet Golly Moses, look at that thing! I never even knew one existed....Now there's a back problem waiting to happen! That's the sort of thing you can imagine Bernard Herrmann writing for given half the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I am still waiting for the posthumous premiere of Bernard Herrmann's Concerto for Serpent and Orchestra! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Omen II, thanks for the elaborate research on your behalf, however, my "intel" comes from a professional oboist with whom I spoke specifically about The Planets (though I am myself an orchestral musician with an avid interest in all instrument families, prior to the conversation with that oboist, I didn't know that the bass oboe and the heckelphone were actually two slightly different instruments). I was told that often, heckelphone and bass oboe are thought as the same instrument and that many times, it's actually easier to come across the heckelphone than across the bass oboe, at least "in these lands" , so the guy told me that most often, The Planets' bass oboe part is played on the heckelphone. He also told me that the sonic difference between the two instruments is close to no difference at all, so basically, it doesn't really matter whether the bass oboe or the heckelphone is used in The Planets and so Holst could've just as easily written the part for the heckelphone as he did for the bass oboe. As for the existence of the contrabass saxophone, many saxophonists have told me that it existed but that they've never seen or heard one, so the YouTube link will be useful, thank you, Nick Parker! I've first seen and heard the thing live last year at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt. BTW, in the concert band that I play in, I've had the privilege of playing with e. g. the bass saxophone and the contrabass clarinet, which are also quite interesting, to put it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruckhorn 105 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Sorry if I am venturing off-topic, but I was watching that video you linked to, Damien, and I saw in the Related Videos. Sweet Golly Moses, look at that thing! I never even knew one existed....Now there's a back problem waiting to happen! That's the sort of thing you can imagine Bernard Herrmann writing for given half the chance.Can you imagine trying to march while playing that? Yikes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davros72 1 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 That's the third movement of the Second Suite, "Song of the Blacksmith." That one's hard to play because of how frequently the meter changes, meaning the low brass and percussion need to be on the ball to keep the beat going steadily. You know how often THAT'S going to happen.LOL! So true!(... said the trumpet player. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Omen II, thanks for the elaborate research on your behalf, however, my "intel" comes from a professional oboist with whom I spoke specifically about The Planets (though I am myself an orchestral musician with an avid interest in all instrument families, prior to the conversation with that oboist, I didn't know that the bass oboe and the heckelphone were actually two slightly different instruments). I was told that often, heckelphone and bass oboe are thought as the same instrument and that many times, it's actually easier to come across the heckelphone than across the bass oboe, at least "in these lands" , so the guy told me that most often, The Planets' bass oboe part is played on the heckelphone. He also told me that the sonic difference between the two instruments is close to no difference at all, so basically, it doesn't really matter whether the bass oboe or the heckelphone is used in The Planets and so Holst could've just as easily written the part for the heckelphone as he did for the bass oboe. That makes perfect sense - it seems that the heckelphone is more prevalent in eastern than in western Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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