Operetta “Candide” and Orchestral Suite “The Planets”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Live Performances of Candide and The Planets
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Live music performances are always an incredible and meaningful experience. This review is dedicated to the orchestral concert performances of the overture from the operetta Candide and the seven movements from the orchestral suite The Planets. The concerts under examination are examples of classical music being performed, as is tradition, by an orchestra. Despite their differences in rhythm, tempo, and mood, both performances have an overall exhilarating yet soothing effect and allow the listener to feel a vast range of emotions.

Live Performances of Candide and The Planets

The first piece of music under review is the overture from the operetta Candide composed and conducted in the performance by Leonard Bernstein. Written by Bernstein in 1956, the operetta is based on Voltaire’s 1759 novella of the same name (Savran, 2019). Voltaire’s Candide is a satire that strives to show the inadequacy of optimism and rejects it in all its forms (Savran, 2019). Bernstein follows in Voltaire’s footsteps, with his musical version of Candide being a satire of and homage to European operettas. The overture is performed at the andante, or walking pace, tempo, and a quadruple meter. It is mainly homophonic, with the different voices in the orchestra, including strings, flutes, oboes, horns, drums, and piccolos, following the same melody (Candide overture: Leonard Bernstein conducting, 2007). The overall mood of the piece is joyful, with the overture opening with a loud, fast-paced melody, shifting to a softer and smoother melody in the second part, and finishing in an exuberant mood. The overture was certainly an intriguing piece of work, and the use of strings that sound somewhat optimistic for a satirical operetta was captivating.

The second piece of music performed was the orchestral suite The Planets, conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Composed by Gustav Holst during the First World War, the suite written in seven movements is dedicated to the planets Mars, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune (Green, 2020). Each movement of the suite is played in a different tempo, meter, mood, and melody. Even the dynamics of each movement differed from each other. Nevertheless, all movements are homophonic in texture and are examples of consonant harmony. It can be argued that each difference between the movements is a calculated decision by Holst, made in order to portray each planet as a distinct entity. For example, the first movement, dedicated to Mars, creates a military image through a simple quintuple meter and through the voices of the orchestra growing louder over time, becoming deafening yet not overpowering. The employment of bass drums, strings, flutes, and trumpets in the movement helps create the image of a war-bringer (Holst “Die Planeten – The Planets” – Philadelphia orchestra – Eugene Ormandy 1977, 2013). Overall, the suite is an impeccable piece of musical creation.

Conclusion

In summary, the whole experience of listening to the Candide overture and The Planets was new to me, as I had never attended such an orchestral performance before. I was impressed with how effortlessly the musicians played their parts and how different voices mixed together flawlessly. In addition, all the performers, including the conductors, were consumed by the music, with their facial expressions reflecting every change in mood. Therefore, the concert as a whole was a wonderful experience that helped me better appreciate classical music and showed me how one’s mood could be affected by music.

References

Candide overture: Leonard Bernstein conducting[Video]. (2007). YouTube.

Green, A. (2020).Gustav Holst’s the planets: The making of a masterpiece. Welcome to BBC Sky at Night Magazine – BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Holst “Die Planeten – The Planets” – Philadelphia orchestra – Eugene Ormandy 1977 [Video]. (2013). YouTube.

Savran, D. (2019). “Nothing more than this?”: Bernstein’s “Candide” as existential vaudeville in Barrie Kosky’s Berlin production. Operetta Research Center. Web.

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Operetta “Candide” and Orchestral Suite “The Planets”

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