Touring the Solar System with Holst's The Planets
III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
The Planets, Op. 32
I'm Gustav Holst, and I'm happy to be your guide through III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger. You'll hear the shortest movement of my suite, a fast Vivace in 6/8 where a solo violin, a high harp, a flute and a glockenspiel flit past, and it's worth a few minutes because two keys sound at once. My fellow composers and I also teach you here to recognize our pieces when they play, so once Mercury has flown by, take the Trainer for a spin .
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Hold On to Your Hat, It's Only Four Minutes
Before you press play, I'd ask you to listen for a quick, fluttering feeling, because this is the shortest movement of my suite and lasts only about three and a half to four minutes. Four voices are worth following: the solo violin, the high harp, the flute and the glockenspiel, which is a set of small metal bars struck with mallets. The solo violin darts about, the harp glitters at the very top of its range, the flute chatters along, and the glockenspiel adds little flashes of bright metal. You don't need to catch every note, just notice who is speaking at each moment, a bit like picking up snippets of several conversations at a busy party.What's in a Name
I called this movement Mercury, the Winged Messenger, and the subtitle comes from the astrological writings of Alan Leo. My starting point for the whole suite was astrology rather than astronomy, so I was looking for the character each planet was thought to carry, and for Mercury that character is speed and quick wits. It was also the last movement I wrote, in early 1916, so the other planets were already in place and this one could be the light, swift piece among them. A messenger with wings has no time to stand around, and that's why the music hardly ever sits still.A Scherzo in a Hurry
Choosing the form was an adventure, and in the end I wrote a scherzo, a fast and light kind of piece that likes surprises, rather than a sonata or a rondo. It's marked Vivace from the first bar to the last and is in 6/8, a lilting rhythm of two bouncing beats with each beat split into three. The other unusual ingredient is that I set fragments in B-flat major and E major against each other, which musicians call bitonality. I'll divide the movement into four sections for you, and we'll take them one at a time.Section 1: The Messenger Leaves Before Anyone Is Ready
The movement starts right away at its Vivace speed, with no slow introduction and no time to find your seat. Almost at once you hear the bitonality, as short fragments in B-flat major and E major rub against each other and give the music a bright, slightly dizzy edge. The solo violin is quick to join in, and its lively playing sets the mood of the whole piece. Nothing here is heavy or solemn, and the feeling is of someone rushing off with urgent news.Section 2: Sparkle at the Top Shelf
Next the high instruments come forward, and this is where the harp, the flute and the glockenspiel have most of their fun. The tempo doesn't change, because the Vivace pulse keeps running underneath, but the colours around it shift from moment to moment. Listen to how the little flashes of glockenspiel seem to dance on top of the flute and the harp. The mood is playful and light on its feet, with the bitonal clashes now sounding more like mischief than trouble.Section 3: Back Along the Same Road
In this part the opening fragments come back, so you may feel you've heard some of this news before. The 6/8 swing carries on without a pause, and the two keys keep brushing against each other as they did at the start. The solo violin appears again, and the music grows a little more energetic as the messenger gathers speed for the last stretch. If you followed the opening closely, this is the moment when it pays off, because you'll start to recognise the pieces.Section 4: Gone Before You Can Wave
The last section brings the movement to its end, and it does so quickly and lightly rather than with a heavy final statement. Still in the same Vivace, the sound thins out and the bright colours of the harp and glockenspiel glint one last time. After a few minutes of constant motion, the effect is of a messenger who has delivered his message and slipped away. That brevity is part of the plan, since I wanted Mercury to leave you wanting a little more rather than a little less.Your Turn to Chase the Messenger
Now it's your turn to hear Mercury for yourself, so press play and let the music carry you along. As you listen, you might keep in mind the four bright voices, the steady 6/8 bounce and the way the two keys keep nudging each other. Don't worry if it all goes by in a blur the first time, because the movement is short enough to hear again straight away. I hope you enjoy following it as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
I hope you enjoyed learning about my Mercury, the Winged Messenger, and that you now hear it as a little more than a blur of notes. Mercury was the last movement I wrote, in early 1916, and it remains the shortest of the seven, so it's a piece you can come back to again and again. Each time you do, you may notice something new, such as the solo violin, the high harp or the glockenspiel flickering past before you've quite caught them. There is still much more of The Planets to explore, from the hush of Venus to the fading voices at the end of Neptune. Every movement has its own character, and I'd like you to meet them all. Please click on the links on this page to continue your journey through The Planets.
Best MomentsBackstoryListen Guide 1: I. Mars, the Bringer of WarListen Guide 2: II. Venus, the Bringer of PeaceListen Guide 4: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of JollityListen Guide 5: V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old AgeListen Guide 6: VI. Uranus, the MagicianListen Guide 7: VII. Neptune, the MysticMore about HolstLearn to recognize it when you hear it