About the RSO
The Rockford Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1934
and was incorporated nine seasons later. The RSO’s first
Music Director and Manager, Arthur Zack, led the
orchestra for the next 27 years, during which the Rockford
Area Youth Symphony Orchestra (now Rockford Symphony
Youth Orchestra) was established. Now in its 80th season,
the Rockford Symphony Orchestra is more committed
than ever to fulfilling its mission: to lead in the creation of
vibrant music experiences that enlighten, educate, and
entertain.
The Rockford Symphony Orchestra is comprised of more than 65 professional musicians from
the greater Rockford and Chicago area. There will be more than 50 musicians on stage for The
Planets—the number of musicians on stage depends on the instrumentation needed for a
specific concert.
Music Director and Conductor Steven Larsen has led the Symphony since
1991. Under his direction the RSO has grown artistically, expanding the
orchestra’s repertoire and attracting musicians of the highest caliber. Youth
education and community outreach programs have also been expanded
during his tenure, increasing the RSO’s presence in the lives of Rockford
area residents. Maestro Larsen also plays the cello and enjoys
woodworking, reading, and traveling. His accomplishments have been
recognized through numerous awards, including the Illinois Council of
Orchestras’ 2006 Conductor of the Year.
About the Coronado
The historic Coronado Performing Arts Center opened as a
silent movie palace in 1927. Following a community-wide
restoration effort, the theater reopened in 2001. Since that
time, the Coronado has been the performance home for
the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and serves as the
premiere performing arts venue for visiting world-class
entertainers.
Considered by many in the community as the crown jewel
of Rockford, the theater is operated independently under
the auspices of the City of Rockford.
The RSO Youth Concert is sponsored generously by:
SMITH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
GLOYD FAMILY FOUNDATION
Alfred & Ella Peterson
Anderson Family Foundation
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Sections of the Orchestra
The orchestra is made up of four sections, each with a family of
instruments that are related. Blended together the four sections create
a unique and rich sound that we know as a symphony orchestra.
Which instruments can you distinctly hear on which movements
of The Planets?
Horn
Tr
um
Tr
Viola
Tuba
Cello
Violin
Flute
Clarinet
Bassoon
Piano
Harp
Drums
Bells
Marimba
Timpani
Triangle
Gong
Oboe
3
pe
t
om
bo
ne
Gustav Holst
“Music, being identical with heaven, isn’t a thing
of momentary thrills, or even hourly ones. It’s a
condition of eternity.”
Gustav Theodore Holst was born on September 21, 1874 in
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He was a composer
and teacher of music.
Holst is most famous for his work for orchestra, The Planets.
He composed many other works throughout his life, but none ever became as
popular as The Planets.
Holst had lots of musicians in his family. When he was young it was clear that he
would be a musician, too. He wanted to be a pianist, but couldn’t because of a
problem with his right arm.
Even though his father didn’t want him to,
Gustav Holst went on to study composition,
or how to write music, at Royal College of
Music in London, England. Holst could not
make enough money just writing music, so
he played the trombone and also taught
music at Morley College and St. Paul's Girls'
School.
In 1901, Holst got married to Isobel
Harrison. They had a daughter named
Imogen Clare Holst. She was born in 1907.
England is a country on the continent of Europe.
Holst died in London on May 25, 1934. He was only 59 years old. He is buried at
Chichester Cathedral in Sussex.
My Notes:
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Historical Context: 1914-1920
Gustav Holst wrote The Planets while World War I was taking place throughout Europe. Use this
simple timeline below to learn more about what was going on in the world as Holst composed.
Composition of The Planets
World Events
Before August 1914—composition of Mars
Autumn 1914—composition of Venus
August 1, 1914—Germany declares war on Russia
Late 1914—composition of Jupiter
February 18, 1915—Germany begins submarine
blockade of Britain
May 23, 1915—Italy declares war on Germany and
Austria
Summer 1915—composition of Saturn
By August 1915—composition of Uranus
Autumn 1915—composition of Neptune
Early 1916—composition of Mercury
April 6, 1917—United States enters the war
January 8, 1918—President Wilson announces his
“Fourteen Points” plan
September 29, 1918—First private performance
of The Planets given in London
November 11, 1918—Germany signs Armistice
with Allies
February 27, 1919—First public performance of
The Planets given, minus Venus and Neptune
June 28, 1919—The Treaty of Versailles is signed
November 15, 1920—First full public
performance of The Planets
Activity
Place the following events on the above timeline in correct chronological order:
 May 1914—Mother’s Day was declared an official holiday in the United States
 November 1916—Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress
Go Deeper: What house did Ms. Rankin serve in and what state did she represent?
 January 1919—The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified, establishing Prohibition
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The Planets
Planets in order
from the Sun:
Planets in movement
order from Holst’s work:
1) Mercury
1) Mars
2) Venus
2) Venus
3) Earth
3) Mercury
4) Mars
4) Jupiter
5) Jupiter
5) Saturn
6) Saturn
6) Uranus
7) Uranus
7) Neptune
8) Neptune
Earth is not included in
Holst’s piece.
Spend some time listening to The Planets as
you read about each movement on the
following pages.
You can access a playlist of all the music on
Spotify with a custom playlist created just for you!
http://tinyurl.com/rsotheplanets.
As you listen and read, write down any notes in
the “My Notes” sections about how the
music makes you feel, what you hear, or
questions you may have.
Using the above table that gives the planets in order from the Sun, write the
name of each planet next to it.
Sun
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Mars: The Bringer of War
Mars is named after the Roman God of War. Holst named this movement: “Mars, the Bringer of
War.” Mars is not simply the God of War, but brings war to the world. In this movement, you
can hear Mars approach with his unwanted gift.
What do you hear in this movement that makes you think of war?
Do you hear the repetitive rhythm at the beginning? A repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern
like this is called an ostinato.
Tap the beats and count them – they are in groups of five,
and this is very unusual!
Music usually is organized into patterns of two or three beats. Often, when composers use 5/4
time it is only for one or two measures, but Holst uses it for the entire movement! It has an unbalanced, uncomfortable feeling. Try learning the rhythm (and some astronomy) in 5/4 time by
saying this:
Venus: The Bringer of Peace
This movement is the complete opposite of Mars. No warlike
brass or noisy percussion are heard here; only soothing French
horns, woodwinds, two harps, and gentle strings. The tempo is
marked ‘Adagio’, which means ‘Slowly’. Everyone plays quite
softly.
As you listen to Venus, listen for harmonies that
rock back and forth between two chords.
Towards the end a keyboard instrument called the celeste
enters. In French, its name means “heavenly”, and how
appropriate for this movement! Having brought us peace, Venus
ends on high, shimmering chords played by flutes and violins.
My Notes:
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What is a celeste?
A celeste is a keyboard
instrument invented in 1886 by
Parisian Auguste Mustel. It is
played like a piano, but has a
bell-like sound, similar to a
music box. It was first used in
an orchestra by Tchiakovsky in
his ballet The Nutcracker
to represent the Sugar Plum
Fairy.
Mercury: The Winged Messenger
In Roman mythology, the god Mercury is portrayed wearing a winged hat and winged shoes,
both of which assisted him in flying swiftly from place to place delivering messages. He was also
the god of playing tricks!
Mercury is also the name of the chemical element known as quicksilver. It is a bright,
silvery metal that is liquid at room temperature. If you spill some, it scatters everywhere.
In your imagination, combine the image of Mercury, the god of
messages and trickery, zipping around on winged shoes, together
with shiny, elusive quicksilver.
This will give you a good image of Holst’s music here.
Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity
Why would the solar system’s largest planet make us jolly? The
planet Jupiter was named after the king of the Roman gods, who was
also the god of sky and thunder. Another name for Jupiter was Jove,
and astrologers believed that people born under the sign of Jupiter/
Jove were jolly and optimistic – “jovial”, for short.
The music in Jupiter is fast and happy. The slower theme at the end
of the movement became quite popular. So popular that Holst put
the words of a patriotic poem to it, and in 1921 it was published as “I
Vow to Thee, My Country”. It continues to this day to be an
important patriotic song for citizens of the United Kingdom.
Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age
For astrologers, Saturn is the opposite of Jupiter. Older people
sometimes look back wistfully at their youth, when they had few
responsibilities and duties, and more time to play. Saturn is said
to bring limits, boundaries, and restrictions to life, and therefore
the burdens of age.
As people age, they slow down. Very old people move very
slowly, and so does Saturn. The movement opens very softly,
then becomes a sad sounding funeral march, and ends with the
strings playing a pretty and soft melody.
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Uranus: The Magician
When magicians are doing magic they are really doing tricks working with special props and by
drawing our eyes away from what they doing. Holst’s Uranus is a flashy showman who would
be at home on the stage of a traveling carnival – and he’s also a little creepy. He announces
himself with four loud, sustained brass notes, and after getting everyone’s attention, proceeds
to razzle-dazzle you with a series of sensational tricks. His “patter” — the speech magicians use
to focus your attention to where they want it — is introduced by the three bassoons.
Soon he has won over the crowd, and everyone joins to sing the Magician’s theme song with
great gusto. But suddenly, the crowd falls silent. The Magician has stunned his audience with a
trick that left them gaping in amazement, and perhaps in fear. Uranus roars his four-note
theme in triumph, and the music fades into tense silence.
Neptune: The Mystic
“Mystic” is often used interchangeably with “mystical”, and “mystical” is also used as a synonym
for “mysterious”. In Holst’s day, Neptune was the last planet in the solar system, the farthest
from the sun. Astronomers knew almost nothing about it, and that certainly made it
mysterious. Neptune’s music reflects that mystery.
Holst uses several special instrumental techniques to create a strange, other-worldly effect.
The two harps, celeste, and high strings sweep up and down on quiet arpeggios, which are
broken chords played up and down from lowest to highest and back again. The strings play
tremolo, with very fast, short bow strokes producing a shimmering sound.
Gradually, all the arpeggios and tremolos fade away, leaving a quiet, unsettled chord sustained
in the strings. One by one — and still in that dead pianissimo (very soft) tone — the
woodwinds and then the French horns contribute fragments of a rising scale. For the first time
in this movement, two melodies stand out slightly above the sound of the other, “dead”
instruments, played by solo clarinet and solo violin. They may have actually caught your
attention so much that you didn’t notice the human voices that are now soaring above the
instruments! Holst has brought in a female chorus that take over the scales from the
woodwinds and finally fade away.
My Notes:
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Vocabulary
adagio
Quite slow
arpeggio
A musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after
the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously
astrology
The study of the supposed influences of the stars on human affairs by their positions in
relation to each other
astronomy
The science of the heavenly bodies and of their sizes, motions, and composition
beat
Regular pulsation; a basic unit of length in musical time
chord
Simultaneous combination of three or more tones that constitute a single block of
harmony
dissonance
Combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution
melody
A pleasing series of musical notes that form the main part of a song or piece of music
movement
Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work
mythology
A set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of
an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered
ostinato
A continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm
rhythm
The “beat” of music; the regular pattern of long and short notes
tempo
The speed at which a passage of music is or should be played
tremolo
Rapid repetition of a note, creating a trembling effect
Q D Z I X M R S G T
Word Search
A K O X E H P T H C
Find the following words in
the puzzle on the left . Each
letter is used only once.
W M K L Y S A E O H
X T O T P X X M L O
ASTRONOMY
E D H L X L D P S R
BEAT
CHORD
Y M B E L H A O T D
HOLST
N T K Q A T A N I W
MELODY
B E A T U L M C E X
PLANET
Y M O N O R T S A T
RHYTHM
TEMPO
T W F D W N P K Y T
Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com
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Astronomy Day—April 25
National Astronomy Day is April 25, and you can celebrate at the Discovery Center in Rockford,
IL! Learn even more about the Planets with free planetarium shows, star maps, and glittery star
crafts. Check out the inner workings of a telescope and take a close-up look at our star the Sun
with the Rockford Amateur Astronomy Club. Included in museum admission fee.
Sat., Apr. 25; 11:00 am–4:00 pm | Discovery Center Museum | discovercentermuseum.org
The RSO will be performing The Planets, with the full presentation of astronomical images
collected by the Adler Planetarium, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center on April 25 at
7:30pm. Music by Sir William Walton and Maurice Ravel will also be on the program.
Tickets and more info: visit www.rockfordsymphony.com or call 815.965.0049
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A Final Note
Whether the Youth Concert is your first time hearing a live symphony orchestra performance, or
your first time in the Coronado Performing Arts Center, we hope you have a wonderful time! We
also hope you will want to come again, either to hear the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, the
Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra, or another orchestra performance.
So that you’ll know more about what to expect, here are some FAQs—frequently asked
questions…
1. What do I wear to a concert?
Well, many years ago people got quite dressed up when they came to a concert. These
days people dress more casually. Dress comfortably, but keep in mind that it is a
somewhat serious performance so you may want to dress up a little more than you
normally would on a school day.
2. Where do I sit?
When you arrive at the theater an usher will help your class find the section of seats
assigned to your group. If you come to a regular evening performance you may be
assigned a seat, but for the Youth Concert you’ll just sit in a section of seats.
3. When is the ‘right’ time to clap?
Applause is something that the musicians definitely appreciate! They like knowing that
they are playing something you enjoy. A good way to know when to applaud is to watch
the conductor. When his or her arms go down by their sides at the end of a piece, it
usually means it is finished.
4. What if I need to use the restroom during the concert?
It is certainly a good idea to use the restroom before the concert. The Youth Concert is
about 50 minutes long and there isn’t an intermission. Getting up in the middle of the
performance is distracting to other audience members, but if you have to do so, please
make sure you let your teacher know.
5. Can I take pictures of the musicians?
We think it’s great that you might want to remember your experience! However, using a
camera or cell phone to take pictures during the performance, especially if the flash goes
off, is very disturbing to the musicians who are concentrating very hard. So photos are not
allowed.
Sources
This Study Guide was compiled by the RSO Staff and includes original content as well as
information from a variety of sources including:
Classicsforkids.com
DiscoveryEducation.com
ImageArcade.com
Nineplanets.org
Skyandtelescope.com
TheTeachersCorner.net
Wikipedia.com
Gustav Holst: A Biography, by Imogen Holst
Oxford University Press, 1969
Holst: The Planets, by Richard Greene
Cambridge University Press, 1995
Music In Theory and Practice, Volume I
Bruce Benward and Gary White
The McGraw Hill Companies, 1997
Notes on each movement of The Planets
written by RSO Music Director Steven Larsen
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