Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger Cover Image

Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

$80.00 USD
$80.00 USD
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Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger Cover Image
Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

By Gustav Holst, ed./arr. by Clinton F. Nieweg

Item: 36-A843102
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Planets, The (Op. 32/H125), No. 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

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Description
Writing it between 1914 and 1917, Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was initially inspired to compose THE PLANETS based on a conversation he had about astrology while on holiday in Spain with some friends in 1913. Intrigued by the concepts, he sought to write an orchestral suite for seven of these astrological signs based on the planets known to the world at the time and imbue the music with the appropriate astrological meaning. Rather than order the planets as an astronomer would, Holst ordered them in such a way as to attain maximum musical effectiveness. Scored for a large orchestra, fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote in 1920, "Holst uses a very large orchestra in THE PLANETS not to make his score look impressive, but because he needs the extra tone color and knows how to use it." This critical edition of the "Mercury" movement by Clinton Nieweg is based on the composer's manuscript. Instrumentation: 2+2Picc.2+EH+BsOb.3+BCl.3+CBsn: 4.2.0.0: Timp.Perc(1): Hp(2).Clst: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).

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Additional Details
Series: Nieweg Performance Editions - Kalmus
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 612735610500
SKU: 36-A843102
Instrumentation: 2+2Picc.2+EH+BsOb.3+BCl.3+CBsn: 4.2.0.0: Timp.Perc(1): Hp(2).Clst: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was an English composer whose orchestral works shaped early twentieth-century concert music. His training in composition at the Royal College of Music coincided with his deep interest in literature, poetry, and world cultures, influences that surface throughout his catalog. Holst's gift was for orchestral color and structural clarity; he wrote for wind band, stage, and symphony with equal fluency, but The Planets remains his most performed work worldwide.

Holst approached composition with philosophical intention rather than showiness. His willingness to embrace large orchestras, as Vaughan Williams noted, stemmed not from ambition but from genuine musical need. The Planets emerged from his curiosity about astrology during a 1913 holiday in Spain, and between 1914 and 1917 he shaped that curiosity into one of the concert repertoire's most vivid and dramatically effective suites.

Why we love this

Mercury is orchestration at its finest. Holst's scoring for this scherzo-like movement demands precise articulation and rhythmic clarity from a large orchestra, yet every section has breathing room and purpose. This critical edition by Clinton Nieweg returns conductors and players to the composer's manuscript, eliminating decades of editorial approximation and restoring the piece's original brilliance.

What to expect

Quicksilver. Mercury darts and spirals with rhythmic vitality and orchestral shimmer. The movement balances melodic clarity with a sense of constant motion; moments of stillness emerge only to vanish beneath cascading woodwind figures and rippling harp glissandos. It is witty, propulsive, and orchestrally dazzling.

Who it's for

Conductors leading advanced orchestras or university ensembles who want to program a standard that sits comfortably alongside the rest of Holst's suite or as a standalone showpiece. This critical edition serves orchestras committed to historically informed performance and conductors who value manuscript fidelity over editorial convenience.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the offbeat woodwind figurations against the main melodic line; the accompaniment should feel energetic without burying the tune.
  • Treat the harp work as structural glue rather than mere ornamentation. The two harps anchor harmonic and rhythmic momentum throughout.
  • Shape the opening flute and piccolo material with clarity and lightness. This movement's character depends on crisp articulation and agile ensemble response.
  • Control the orchestral tutti passages with defined dynamics and phrasing. The writing is dense but never muddy if each choir (woodwinds, brass, strings) maintains its own internal focus.

How to use it

Program Mercury as part of the full Planets suite for maximum dramatic arc, or isolate it as a concert opener when you want immediate orchestral engagement and a piece that showcases virtuosity without requiring specialized soloists. Its modest length (around 4 minutes) and immediate appeal make it an ideal concert anchor for educational and professional ensembles alike.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and executing rapid rhythmic figures across multiple instrument families
  • Balancing transparent orchestration across a large ensemble
  • Coordinating two harp parts within the broader ensemble texture
  • Responding to frequent tempo and dynamic shifts with precision
  • Sustaining rhythmic momentum through non-traditional phrase structures

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