Review

Gustav Holst
The Perfect Fool Ballet Suite: Invocation and Dance Spirits of the Earth

Arranged by Charles Decker


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2023
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

While many of his pieces are well know and frequently performed by wind bands and brass ensembles, Gustav Holst’s one act opera The Perfect Fool is perhaps one of his least performed and more obscure works. The opera satirizes other operas by Verdi, Wagner, and Debussy. While Charles Decker includes the word “suite” in the title of this brass quintet arrangement, it really only consists of two selections from the opera — one subtitled Invocation and the other Dance of Spirits of the Earth. The two sections collectively account for less than about four minutes of music, with the invocation serving mainly as a short introduction to the dance.

The dance is set in 7/8 time and transitions to 3/8 near the end. Aside from some quirky rhythms and a plethora of accidentals, this music is not particularly difficult. The range is well set for each of the instruments, and most of the rhythmic patterns are repetitive and well-doubled. Tonally, this music mainly emphasizes major and minor keys that frequently shift. It is not particularly dissonant, although there are some moments of tonal ambiguity.

As we have come to expect from Cherry Classics, the parts and score are meticulously edited and perfectly legible. The Perfect Fool Ballet Suite is a delightful work that will fit nicely into any brass quintet recital.