Gustav Holst - Japanese Suite (1915)

Composer: Gustav Theodore Holst (September 21, 1874 - May 25, 1934)
Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta
0:00 Prelude - Song of the Fisherman
2:31 I - Ceremonial Dance
4:07 II - Dance of the Marionette
5:48 Interlude - Song of the Fisherman
6:31 III - Dance under the Cherry Tree
8:31 IV - Finale - Dance of the Wolves
Scores I engrave: github.com/CMajSeven
Program I develop for this channel: github.com/edwardx999/ScorePr...

[@Cmaj7]

0:01 Prelude - Song of the Fisherman 2:31 I - Ceremonial Dance 4:07 II - Dance of the Marionette 5:48 Interlude - Song of the Fisherman 6:31 III - Dance under the Cherry Tree 8:31 IV - Finale - Dance of the Wolves

[@SeamusMcGinn]

There has to be a great way to transcribe this for wind ensemble🤔

[@philswaim392]

Holst was a modern movie composer before his time. Tonal poems and suites like his just completely paint a picture of scenery in your mind without even showing a picture.

[@peteroselador6132]

That actually is partly because Holst *is* the composer they use for temp music before adding in the new soundtrack. His music was quite suited for it, but then the things people became used to hearing sounded like it (as film scores often end up naturally sounding like the temp track), and that reinforced the idea of him as sounding like film! Now it's a constant cycle that keeps making him sound more and more film-y!

[@philswaim392]

@@peteroselador6132 mmmm maybe. Tonal poems are like that though as a genre. Pictures at an exhibition is another good example as well as the Titan symhpony from mahler

[@xapaga1]

6:49 onwards: The classic Japanese lullaby that my late grandma used to sing to me when I was little in the 1970s. The lyrics go like this: "Nēn-nen kororiya okororiyā. Bōya wa yoiko da. Nenne shinā." (Sleep, sleep, sleep while lying down, whilst lying down. You, my boy, are a good child. So have a sleep'n slumber.)

[@Checkmate1138]

I didn't even know this existed.

[@OrganNLou]

Me neither!

[@adasmlynarczyk]

Checkmate1138 that's point, me neither

[@ibetillforgetthis]

I only found out because I had to analyse a piece of music for school and wanted to do a Gustav holst piece and then ended up searching up and listening to most of his pieces. It’s sad how little some of his pieces are known despite being amazing.

[@JasonMarsalis]

@@ibetillforgetthis Unfortunately “The Planets” overshadowed them.

[@wildravez9963]

This piece is the reason I play bassoon

[@ikkishun]

The intro bassoon solo sounds similar to Elgar's Romance for Bassoon and Piano!

[@TISMMMMSILLY]

NO BC HE WAS ONTO SOMETHING WITH THESE SCORES… IDK HOW TO DESCRIBE IT?????????? HE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF THE NAME IN THE MUSIC.,… LIKE THE PRELUDE AND INTERLUDE FEEL LIKE YOUR ON A BOAT ON A ROUGH SEA…. AND THE CEREMONIAL DANCE SOUND LIKE A RITUAL….. god I love this man ❤❤

[@ThomasJCurran]

That high viola at 0:51 is breathtakingly beautiful

[@monikaz3892]

wow VIOLA got a melody part

[@stache465]

Kinda sounds like across the stars from star wars

[@geevanh4200]

@@monikaz3892 ♥

[@JacobieHumphrey]

​@@stache465Well Williams loved Holst, so that's a possibility.

[@user-xb4bu1wq4v]

When Holst had scored 6 of the planets, Mercury was the last to be completed, he wrote and scored the Japanese suite. He met a Japanese dancer called Michio Ito who whistled some Japanese tunes/melodies to him and from that he produced this wonderful music. Whatever you think about any Japanese influence this music from start to finish sounds like and could only have been written by Gustav Holst. I personally really like it.

[@user-zx4om9jj9l]

6:31 takes the melody of the old Japanese children’s komori uta or lullaby. Nen nen korori yo

[@federicoriva7928]

Beautiful orchestration

[@pardaq24]

totally agreed, even in the parts where harmonic movement is restricted it sounds varied and rich

[@tonypatriarche3791]

Anyone who writes solos for bassoon and viola is my kind of composer! Delightful.

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

This is the only piece I have yet seen with a treble clef in the viola section. Holst really liked the viola it seems.

[@rongrongchen9829]

The way Holst combines Japanese music elements with the orchestra is so much better than how Puccini did in Madam Butterfly...

[@davidlea430]

I agree totally

[@leonelbat]

@Schwer Dunkel that's exactly it. Each style in its time, as Hegel said: Zeitgeist.

[@esejsnake1503]

@Schwer Dunkel Puccini always wrote opera like this. The same charmonics when he writes about cowboys and about ancient China... I think what Holst doesn't quite get (this piece is interesting but confusing, he gets details right and then again, no) is the energy of Japanese music. The rythm, if you will. Many motifs are exactly right, but lack that theatrical pulse that drives it forward. Except the end. And then he uses a pattern that I've never heard in Japanese music, and that sounds stereotipically "Puccini like" western China. What do you think?

[@Sploooks]

That’s because Holst comes from a place of genuine wonder and admiration, rather than Puccini’s frankly racist portrayal.

[@thinkOfMeAsAClassicalMusician]

They had different goals

[@manuelmartinez8741]

A Great Composer! When my Son played the Suite Saint Paul with the Students and Teachers in his Music School,I was near to tears. Beautiful Music.

[@user-bv9lj9qd9o]

すっげえいい曲だあ！！！！！

[@mahmoudmohie1624]

Omg the melody of the dance of the marionette is so awesome❤❤❤, I've never heared this piece before, that's remarkable

[@ingetamna]

If anyone can grow a theme, Holst can grow a theme :D

[@mateuslguilherme]

Gustav holst, the first weeaboo

[@MasonIshida]

Actually, Puccini was

[@sukarnos3xy]

Top 10 Anime Funniest KZbin Comments

[@dabbinrascal7975]

WHERE ARE THE SUBTITLES

[@sukarnos3xy]

HAMOOD HABIBI HAMOOD, HAMOOD HABIBI

[@SamuraiSx19]

sure I can hear he tried to portray story of Afro Samurai - anime~

[@gerardbegni2806]

A very delicate music, finely orchestrated;> Thx for posting.

[@endercatgames]

So happy to finally see this with the sheet music thank you so much!

[@tsuneonishioka3118]

こんないい曲があったんですね。日本人として嬉しいです😊

[@izzysworld6815]

oh my gosh. What a beautiful piece. Stunning.

[@geevanh4200]

♥♥♥

[@chriswebb3179]

Always thrilled to see another Holst masterpiece on this channel!

[@Pilouleptilou]

Many Thanks ! I was looking desperately for this sheet music.

[@PianistStefanBoetel]

The phrygian theme of the viola reminds me of one part of "Sakura".

[@Imagineyourmusiccom]

thank you very much for this beautiful discovery

[@scj6693]

Lovely to see work by this artist, i saw him in concert last summer

[@Taylorplays64]

Nobienify he’s dead lol

[@scj6693]

jdbubby96 no shit. i was joking.

[@Taylorplays64]

Nobienify suuuuuure

[@scj6693]

jdbubby96 what? how could it not be a joke?

[@scj6693]

Gordontrek he was lovely!

[@user-cu7qy1de1g]

The third movement is famous japanese lullaby, The song title is ‘Nen nen kororiyo’

[@nobilisartorivs]

What about the second?

[@Sanders_Media]

Yeah that last movement is hell to play

[@ThomasJagusch]

Nice! Reminds me of Borodin, Saint-Saens and Moussorgski... Dance of the Marionette is like his own Mercury mixed up with Borodin Requiem

[@sonicspaceboy]

Dance of the Marionette theme and 6/8 vs 3/4 recycled soon after its composition into Mercury (The Planets)

[@adrianoseresi3525]

Is greatest weakness of this work is that it's too short.

[@Gentledudy]

Holst was a true wizzard of music

[@juandomingoquirozmendez3246]

Sublime.

[@dmntuba]

New to me...thanks for sharing.

[@user-pw5vl4pv3v]

1915年頃に「惑星」シリーズの作曲を中断してこの作品は作られました。 伊藤道郎という日本の舞踊家がホルストのいたロンドンにたまたま遠征しており、彼はホルストにいくつかの民謡を伝えました。 そしてホルストは日本風のバレエ音楽を作ったというわけですね。 しかしその民謡について、「桜の木の下の踊り」に引用されている江戸子守唄以外、何の民謡なのか正体が分かっていません。 ただ、あんまり本格的な研究がされていないだけで、探せば見つかるような気がするんですよね。 調べて論文にしてみても面白いかもしれませんね。😝

[@nobilisartorivs]

Did you find anything

[@dunstonlion1342]

The moment at 1:47 might be one of my favorite moments in classical music.

[@davidrehak3539]

Gustav Holst:Japán Szvit Op.33 1.Nyitány:A halász dala (Senza misura - Andante sostenuto) 00:00 2.Ünnepi Tánc (Allegretto quasi andante - Molto pesante) 02:31 3.A Marionett tánca (Allegretto con spirito - Moderato) 04:07 4.Közjáték:A halász dala (Andante) 05:48 5.Táncolni a cseresznyefa alatt (Lento - Morendo) 06:31 6.Finálé:A Farkasok tánca (Allegro agitato - Andante - Allegretto - Piú mosso - Allegro -Vivace - Presto - Animato) 08:31 Ulster zenekar Vezényel:JoAnn Falletta

[@davidrehak3539]

Köszönöm az értékelést

[@davidrehak3539]

Köszönöm az értékelést

[@davidrehak3539]

Köszönöm az értékelést

[@davidrehak3539]

Köszönöm az értékelést

[@spoilerzado]

Up

[@AdamGillett]

Jerry Goldsmith stacking up receipts here

[@yuehchopin]

sehr gut

[@Diamonddogusa]

Hmmm, what little gem have I found here...?

[@TimondeNood]

Yai!! Thx

[@lj036226]

For eternity ...

[@GerrlichStudios]

quelle beauté

[@michaelrg3836]

How pretty!

[@michaelnichxls]

It’s odd but understandable why some parts are in 2/4 while other parts are in 6/8.

[@paschikshehu7988]

Michael Nichols Can you tell us why, or would it be too difficult to explain to us?

[@michaelnichxls]

Besnik Nuro My interpretation is that it’s just “easier” to read. Because the melody is played in 2/4, and the accompaniment parts are playing triplets, this creates a polyrhythm. But instead of keeping the accompaniment parts in 2/4 and writing triplets for every beat, 6/8 kind of simplifies that. Although it’s totally not necessary in this case, it’s may be in other cases; say 4/8 over 5/8. I personally wouldn’t recommend overlapping different time signatures because some readers may get confused of what they’re reading and misinterpret rhythms, but if it’s necessary then you could use it. The conductor, or anyone really, would just have to inform whoever plays a piece like this to be weary of the time signatures. Here’s a video of David Bruce talking a little bit on this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKbNdKJnhbt1pdU

[@paschikshehu7988]

lmao this Nancarrow guy was the OG

[@clearlenscap9707]

what I don't get is why the harp part in the beginning is clearly 9/8 or 18/16 yet is notated as 6/8

[@michaelnichxls]

Clear Lens Cap The harp is playing a triplet every eighth note, it’s just not written in. It also changes to 9/8 at 1:34, and it continues to play triplets every eighth note.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Did Holst know the feeling of sadness and wistful emotions of Japanese four seasons ？ For example , in the autumn , the plaintive chirp of the transient life's autumn insects permeates our Japanese hearts from 1000 years ago . From chaotic and invincible Tokyo of the Land of the Rising of Sun .

[@khowweeting]

Wouldn’t it be cool if this suite is played with Japanese instruments? Like how they got Kabuki actors to stage Star Wars.

[@RoseCadenza]

Whoa! One of the few pieces that actually has polymeter in it. So cool!

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

This is also the only piece I have yet seen with a treble clef in the viola section.

[@jeremy8473]

​@@ShaunakDesaiPiano Listen to a bunch of a string quartets or pieces that have Viola only, I think a good example would be debussy's sonata for Harp, Viola and flute. Viola is given treble clef a lot.

[@AbcDef-st6et]

*YES*

[@davidtatro7457]

Absolutely stunning. I prefer the Oriental Suite, but this is also absolutely amazing.

[@yrockerboy]

Why does no one talk about Dance of the Wolves?

[@yourneighbor5010]

What the hell, Holst made other stuff other than First and Second Suite?

[@Jakkunn8]

and this

[@welldarn5063]

You’d be surprised

[@irie1534]

st paul’s suite, green brook suite, etc

[@irie1534]

brook green suite*

[@ethanliang1727]

He wrote so many more: www.gustavholst.info/compositions/

[@MrPiano1994]

Yes God

[@GJYYNGII]

Excellent! Where did you find this score?

[@mybonesfellout]

GJYYNGII he wrote it by himself

[@EddieChung]

OH MY GOD THE SHEETS TO THIS AHHHH CAN I HAVE THE PDF

[@dulkoski]

no

[@ITBahren]

imslp should have most scores older than 60 years available for download for free, just search on google

[@GJYYNGII]

007Raizor I checked IMSLP, and the score was nowhere to be found under Holst's name.

[@grahamyoung7702]

Rental Only from Boosey we play it in February

[@ThomasJagusch]

At 2:05 are written 2 g's, but the celli (fortunately) play a's there. That's a mistake in the score.

[@ulengrau6357]

Oh look, it's Hans Zimme....... oh never mind. It's Gustav Holst.

[@user-qe8hw7in9v]

coollll

[@geevanh4200]

♥♥♥

[@georgealderson4424]

Parts of this piece remind me of Shostakovitch for some reason.

[@mmarci23]

This gives me studio ghibli vibes

[@tchaffman]

I like how we all skipped the solo at the beginning and that's why it's the most replayed part of the video

[@arno_grnfld455]

Yoo, some of these sound eerily similar to the inazuma bgm, i highly suspect they got their inspiration from here

[@MegaCirse]

GTH build a discourse of interiority, of breathing, which knows how to make room for silence

[@ajmilligan6881]

Sounds almost like film score in parts

[@georgealderson4424]

...or film score sounds like this?

[@karlpoppins]

@@georgealderson4424 @AJ Milligan Film scoring is heavily influenced specifically from Holst's orchestral writing. Other worthy mentions are Wagner and Mahler, but Holst takes the cake - for sure.

[@georgealderson4424]

@@karlpoppins Interesting. Somwtimes it is as if people believe that the great composers from years ago were inspired by modern composers and not the reverse! Many years ago I remember someone claiming that a modern pop song had been plagerised by Saint'saens or whoever! I know they say it is not possible to slander the dead but it is just as well that the dead cannot come back to sue the living!

[@karlpoppins]

@@georgealderson4424 I'm pretty sure (or, at least, I hope) OP meant the same thing. The phrase "X is like Y" doesn't necessarily imply any chronological order.

[@georgealderson4424]

@@karlpoppins Yes I see what you mean and you are probably right.

[@TAP7a]

Bits of it don't quite work, but even in his off moments Holst is still amazing. That last page though, oh my *god* my heart was racing, that's so good, so exciting and brilliantly orchestrated! Wonderful stuff.

[@GabrielCastillo-xj9ik]

John Williams was here

[@Kyubiwan]

Does this piece use the Royal Road (IV-V-iii-vi) progression anywhere?

[@BigAl-is7fo]

ceremonial dance is certainly a strange christmas song...

[@MrRbjunior83]

One of the “fathers” of the film music!

[@laurend9829]

I hear so much Gustav Holst inspiration in John Williams' soundtracks. Both incredible composers, though of course Holst did it first!

[@benjaminhowie2227]

Where can I find the score to this?

[@GJYYNGII]

Benjamin Howie I think you have to buy this at the Boosey & Hawkes website to get the score.

[@grahamyoung7702]

Parts are rental only

[@user-jl7nt4fp8k]

神秘主義の権化...........ホルスト............

[@joeboei]

4:08

[@taylor_h796]

That actually sound like its either from Fairy Tail or The Seven Deadly Sins.

[@cdjk123]

5:55 could be lifted directly from a John Williams star wars composition!

[@georgealderson4424]

...or more likely vice versa

[@Belfreyite]

Nah! John Willams came to a lot later and used Holst mercilessly.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

This music is rare and valuable. From where are you watching this video ？ Estas viendo que este video es del pais ？ Sie befinden sich gerade ist dieses video ein land wo die Lente wollen wissen .Vous regardez que catte video est du pays ？ Voce esta assistindo que este video e do pais ？ Stai guardando che questo video e del paese ？ Dimmi .

[@spoilerzado]

Jan Banholzer The Portuguese don't make sense too

[@adonisadmirer2752]

+Jan +Marcos That's what you get when you use google translate.

[@spoilerzado]

@@adonisadmirer2752 yeah

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

Let's try this again. This time using deepl: Esta música es rara y valiosa. ¿Desde dónde estás viendo este video? Diese Musik ist selten und wertvoll. Von wo aus siehst du dir dieses Video an? Cette musique est rare et précieuse. D'où regardez-vous cette vidéo? Questa musica è rara e preziosa. Da dove stai guardando questo video? No portuguese available with that but dutch and polish: Deze muziek is zeldzaam en waardevol. Van waar kijkt u naar deze video? Ta muzyka jest rzadka i cenna. Skąd oglądasz ten teledysk?

[@MattWeisherComposer]

Bit of the Hedwig’s theme at the top.

[@c4rl4x3l]

I don't know why but I can hear a lot of Witcher 3 in this

[@adonisadmirer2752]

I did get a foreign impression with regards to the music's overall feeling, and I would think it suitable for a medieval fantasy themed game or perhaps picture, but I can't really find many similarities. Is there some specific spot you can link me so that I can get a better idea of your view?

[@wildravez9963]

Ok seriously why no bass clarinet part? It couldve even just been doubling the bassoon. Just give it a part at least!!

[@alecingram15]

Personally as a composer, I only write for the amount of instruments I need. For this piece it does not really seem necessary to have a bass clarinet added. Of course if an ensemble wanted to perform the piece with a bass clarinet, then all they would need to do is give them the part as you suggested.

[@wildravez9963]

@@alecingram15 the instrument isn't needed, i just think the tone is a nice addition

[@StudioKonKon]

I wonder what version of score this is? Can't be boosey and hawkes, maybe? There are so many errors in this score that don't match what's being played by this wonderful orchestra. Like in bar 210-213 @ 6:12 where the III. & IV Horns randomly has a bass clef instead of treble which is what this orchestra is performing. (In the Bass Clef it'll be playing A# which would clash with the A's & B's of the other instrument. In the Treble clef it'd be an F# which is correct.)

[@bassoonist4884]

Idk, every Boosey & Hawkes score/parts I've seen are loaded with errors. If the conductor ever stops rehearsal to tell me he and I dont have the same notes, there's about a 90% chance it was published by B&H lol

[@StudioKonKon]

That's true, I've seen many of Boosey & Hawkes scores with errors. I wonder if the one in the video is an older edition because the Boosey & Hawkes version I have doesn't have the same errors.

[@bassoonist4884]

Is the font any different?

[@StudioKonKon]

​The score looks identical (including the font) to the one in this video so I assume it's the same one except it doesn't have the same errors.

[@StudioKonKon]

I just notice mine has a re-print date of 2011 not the 1925 or 1983 editions.

[@HueNost]

ore wa ochinchin ga daisuki nadayo

[@AbnerIMAlvarado]

I understand this hahahaha

[@windsofnagual]

HueNost warota

[@gingeropera7491]

Admittedly a lesser work by the Master from Cheltenham. But no less beautifully heard. Written after The Planets Suite I believe.

[@tylerwill7259]

The ad breaks you put in the middle of the piece really disrupt the flow, not to mention having two in the middle of a ten minute piece. It’s quite excessive.

[@Cmaj7]

Sorry, I don't have control over them. They are placed by the recording owners

[@johannsebastianbeanz3690]

Sounds like Genshin Impact orchestral music

[@Jwoyal]

does this count as weeb music

[@ze_rubenator]

No, this is romantic music. Nothing more, nothing less.

[@GJYYNGII]

Ze Rubenator Wrong. This piece was made in 1915, so it doesn't count as a Romantic piece. If this was a romantic piece, then some of the instruments wouldn't be part of this score, and this would have been made sometime during the 19th century.

[@DreamlessSleepwalker]

@@ze_rubenator This is very weeb actually. Holst has many songs that are written in different systems of harmony.

[@ze_rubenator]

@@GJYYNGII I'd say Holst is on the fringes of late romanticism. He's markantly more romantic than many of his contemporaries, although you're right he is also quite modern.

[@ruben7801]

I’d say it’s more impressionist than romantic. Belongs with Ravel.

[@ml-truth]

I. Whatever Ii. Alright Iii. Whatever Iv. Alright

[@actualman908]

🤣

[@joelclifton6312]

4:10 to 5:32, he stole his own idea from Mercury. Repeating melody trading among the instruments, starting softly, growing, and then dying down again.

[@icravecheddar7401]

Guess he was re using his own ideas with different themes, and it paid off well

[@fatcontroller12]

Yuck! Violas having a solo? That doesn't exist! (This is a twosetviolin reference and I'm just joking.)

[@carolcr4024]

Lovely music, bad 'video'

[@WEEBLLOM]

What

[@Cryseris]

@@WEEBLLOM ofc you’re here

[@WEEBLLOM]

@@Cryseris ok

[@johannsebastianbeanz3690]

@@WEEBLLOM oh hi!

[@WEEBLLOM]

@@johannsebastianbeanz3690 ok

[@roses2155]

Well, in the current climate, this piece will never get performed. Cultural appropriation by a old, white man, from a colonial-centric nation.

[@carlgrove8793]

Holst was asked to provide background music for a Japanese play being put on (I think in London) by one of the actors. He had no prior knowledge of Japanese music and asked the actor to sing him some songs, which he then worked into this piece.

[@roses2155]

@@carlgrove8793 interesting background. Sadly, motivations and details of its genesis won’t overcome the current phenomenon of judgement by the woke-mob.

[@carlgrove8793]

@@roses2155 I've never quite understood what people mean by "woke" but in any case Holst was certainly no right wing character. He was very much the other way inclined, and studied not only Japanese but Middle Eastern and Indian thinking and religion.

[@roses2155]

Bless you for your naivety. Current morality among the less worldly does not consider the circumstances or character of the person that violates their current standards and judgment. Past innocence is judged with current morality. I would expect no conductor to program this piece and not get pushback for having programmed it.

[@carlgrove8793]

@@roses2155 That's horrendous! But then, most of the great composers have had a few skeletons in their closets, unlike Holst who had a blameless life, so I'm wondering who could be programmed, if things are truly as bad as you say!