Sound of Planets – Trans-zendenz XI

A genuinely radiant event: The London Symphony Orchestra, led by Sir Antonio Pappano, has crafted a programme for the final concert of the 68th Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy that promises to be the summer’s grand highlight. The evening begins with a burst of energy and excitement, featuring the overture to Berlioz’s opera Benvenuto Cellini. Pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins the orchestra for Richard Strauss’s playful and lively Burleske. In its time, the composition was seen as too intricate, with harmonies considered unconventional. Yet, what unfolds is music filled with mood and humour, as explicitly indicated by the composer with the notation “con umore” in the score. Following this, accompanied by the Kaunas Choir Lithuania, is the truly epic composition The Planets by Holst. This renowned Suite is divided into seven distinct movements, each exploring the characteristics of an astrological entity. With movements like “Venus, the bringer of peace” or “Jupiter, the bringer of jollity”, the seven celestial bodies symbolise the life journey of an individual from youth to old age and beyond – transitioning into a new, mystical voyage upon departing the earthly realm. The Suite bears the indelible imprint of the First World War’s impact. Holst first introduced his composition to friends two months before the armistice in 1918, initially evoking a sense of disbelief, as described by his daughter Imogen: “They almost found the sounds of Mars unbearable after the four-year war. [...] However, the finale with Neptune was unforgettable, featuring a chorus of purely female voices fading into the distance until the imagination could no longer discern between sound and silence.”