Holst - The Planets, "Mars" for Two Pianos

Gustav Holst - The Planets (1914-1916), No. 1, "Mars, the Bringer of War." Performed by Richard Markham and David Nettle. Introductory note to The Planets by Imogen Holst: "This is Holst's own version of The Planets for two pianos. Unlike most keyboard versions of an orchestral work it was not an arrangement of the full score. It existed before the orchestral score had been written out, although details of the instrumentation had already been clear in Holst's mind from the moment when he began sketching the work. The reason that he needed a keyboard version on paper was that he suffered from neuritis in his right arm, and this often prevented him from playing over his sketches while he was composing." The opening piece of the planets was composed in early 1914; a violent, boisterous march in 5/4. Mars, the Roman god of War, is evoked through the mechanical rhythms and grinding, dissonant climaxes.