Review

Gustav Holst
Mars: The Bringer of War from “The Planets”:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2010
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 6+ brass (choir)

This transcription of the first movement of Gustav Holst’s masterwork The Planets is a valuable addition to the brass ensemble repertoire. Scored for 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, tenor tuba, 2 tubas, and 2 percussionists, the range and difficulty of the parts are suitable for college-level brass ensembles, although advanced high school musicians could also perform the work. The original orchestral nature of the work makes it equally suitable for professional performance. 

Instruments play their original orchestra parts the majority of the time and fill in on additional missing parts as needed. For example, the trombones play the first 16 bars of the ostinato rhythm, originally performed by string instruments. This has a dual effect: retaining the original parts gives a more authentic orchestral feel to the piece, yet also limits the effectiveness of the piece in a concert setting, as it feels a bit devoid of original color and affect. The piece functions more as a practice exercise for orchestral style than as a serious concert performance work. The music is clean and easy to read. Beyond basic slur marks and dynamic indications, the music is devoid of stylistic guidance, again making it suitable for upper-level performers with previous orchestra experience who know the proper performance conventions.

The trumpet parts lie in a comfortable range, g to b-flat2, but the horn parts all require extensive bass clef reading, ranging from d to b-flat2. Trombones range from D-flat to c2, the tenor tuba must play F to c2, and the tubas range from FF to c1.
Performance difficulties are the same as in the original score: extensive unison playing creates intonation challenges, rhythmic variations in asymmetrical meters require an experienced performer, and the sustained lines performed at loud volumes require a mature embouchure and healthy air supply.

-James Adams
Valley City State University