The Planets - Earth

Here's a challenge:

Holst never composed a piece about Earth for his Planets suite. Colin Matthews did one for Pluto (although that's not a planet anymore). How would an Earth movement sound? What elements about our planet would you set to music? Would you include voices?

Just a thought...

Earth is not a roman god :)

You could go for gaia; but how do you write sandy music?

An earth movement, eh?

Interesting thought....I'd be up for the challenge :P

Well, Holst wrote the planets from the view of Earth. Technically it would be impossible to incorporate an Earth movement specifically, as we can't have an outward view of Earth from Earth (even satellite images would be a view from space as opposed to Earth.) One could even go as far as to argue that most other music written is 'Earth' - our view of our world from our perspective.

Just a thought.

I've had a lyrical motif building up in my head for quite some time now. The motif being Gaia and it's relation to a character who symbolizes humanity. (Naturally, that character would also be none other than the devil)

It'd be an opera'esque thingy though... not an orchestral piece.

I actually think the lyrical content I'd have to write for that thing would/or is going to be a LOT harder than the actual music.

Earth would sound like the brassy theme from "Troy." No offense.

Troy Theme

If you're going to have voices because Earth has humans, you should include other aspects of life on Earth.

For example: we have vegetation! We have oceans with plenty of water! Last big elemental difference between ours and the other planets is air. It's pleasant, oxygen-rich, and non-toxic. Really, we're quite lucky.

So besides a vocal theme, you need a green theme, a water theme, and some airy theme.

Shouldn't be too hard to come up with these. Here's my thoughts.

Vocal theme would be the Battlestar Galactica Theme Song

Green theme: I'm not sure but perhaps something jungle sounding and exotic (to represent the jungle/forests)

Green Greens from Smash Bros. Melee comes to my mind but it doesn't feel like a great representation of vegetation.

Water theme: would be Ravel's Jeux D'eau but arranged for orchestra. Piano's fine for representing a fountain but I think you would need a larger orchestration to suggest the oceans.

YouTube - (my) Ravel - Jeux D'eau (Water Games/Fountains)

OR!

Ocean theme: As in, Chopin's Ocean Etude, Op 25. No. 12. Once again, it should be scaled for orchestra.

YouTube - Chopin Etude Op.25 no.12 "The Ocean" (Pollini)

Airy theme: 5:14 in that Troy Soundtrack as sounding pretty good. It's those floaty french horns that do it for me.

Two additional ideas. An idea of form could be theme and variations since life is about evolution which is about variation.

Also, I found someone's composition on youtube that they've done in the style we've discussed.

I'm quite sure that Holst didn't analyze and compose his themes by the chemical compositions of the other planets.

Cause that's what our air, water and greenery are...

chemical substances...

We could probably make a whole suite about Earth, including elements such as nature (water, air, etc.), industry (the city, buildings, etc.) and humanity (which would have to include a choir of some sort).

I'm quite sure that Holst didn't analyze and compose his themes by the chemical compositions of the other planets.

Cause that's what our air, water and greenery are...

chemical substances...

True. I was just having fun with the idea of what makes our planet different than the others.

What did Holst analyze and compose his themes on? If it's the respective god of the planet, would you write "The Planets - Earth" in terms of Gaia (however, she would be represented)?

George Fenton - Planet Earth

Holst made the suite as an extra terrestrial kind of thing and having an Earth song would ruin the point of that, but it would be cool to see an Earth suite like what others have said. It could be "Earth - The Bringer of Life"

Why would you want to write an Earth movement? Mahler already did that with "Das Lied von der Erde".

Das Lied...

To me, this sounds like a good competition idea. Make your own depiction of Earth. Just throwin the idea out there.

True. I was just having fun with the idea of what makes our planet different than the others.

What did Holst analyze and compose his themes on? If it's the respective god of the planet, would you write "The Planets - Earth" in terms of Gaia (however, she would be represented)?

Yes exactly. I'd compose on the theme of Gaia or "Mother Earth", still having mythology as the primary source of inspiration and imagery.

Why would you want to write an Earth movement? Mahler already did that with "Das Lied von der Erde".

Das Lied...

Justin...I hate to say it but...if Mahler wrote anything about one thing, you probably think there is no need to write more on it :P

Has nobody mentioned Baba Yetu yet??? It's actually the main theme to Civilization IV, but still, it sooooo depicts what life is :)

Find it here: YouTube - Baba Yetu The Lion King II (I couldn't find the officaial clip, so meh)

If I have time I'll try to work on this :)

Maybe this should be moved to contests and games? A challenge to write an earth movement? :D

I've just come up with an Earth motif, translating the five letters of the word 'Earth' into five notes

E-A-G-C-B

E and A are obvious, B in German is written as H, and I just chose G and C cos they sound nice with the other notes.

It's a start, anyway

a b c d e f g

h i j k l m n

o p q r s t u

v w x y z

If you want to make a motive and fil the gaps in E A ? ? H, I would use the scheme above (R=D, T=F, H could be A), so another possible motive is EADFA.

But using the H as B (replacing the final A) you get an almost quartal motive with the notes DAEBF

have fun

Well, I won't pretend I haven't thought about it, but I think it would be hard to do.

We have to remember that when Holst wrote the Planets, no-one knew much about what was on the planets.

He must have just thought of what the Roman God's personalities were said to have been like and taken it from there.

A VERY interesting idea though. I now cannot stop wondering what his interpretation of our planet would have been had we been named after a Roman God. :P

a b c d e f g

h i j k l m n

o p q r s t u

v w x y z

If you want to make a motive and fil the gaps in E A ? ? H, I would use the scheme above (R=D, T=F, H could be A), so another possible motive is EADFA.

But using the H as B (replacing the final A) you get an almost quartal motive with the notes DAEBF

have fun

Thanks a lot. :thumbsup: I quite like that E A D F B motive. It has a sinister quality about it (due to the augmented fourth).

Another thing: I'm beginning to get ideas for an original composition about Earth, with no intention of 'adding' it to Holst's already marvellous suite. So it will have nothing to do with astronomy or Roman gods or whatnot.

Well for a composition for or about earth why not record the sound of a mudfight and roiling lava and loop it for expected life expectantcy of earth? That should suffice for the extremely literal approach.

Uhh reminds me that I have tickets for the Planets this April :)

Uhh reminds me that I have tickets for the Planets this April :)

Maybe you'll leave feeling inspired enough to write 'Earth'! :)