Year: 2022

Orchestration: 2 piccolos, 2 flutes, 2 alto flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, E flat clarinet, 2 B flat clarinets, bass clarinet in B flat, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 french horns, 3 B flat trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, 2 bass trombones, tuba, 2 sets of timpani, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, tamtam, crotales, anvil, tubular bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, piano, celesta and strings.

Duration: ca. 48 minutes

Program Note:

This is possibly the first attempt by any composer to write music centered on the planets of our solar system which concentrates on the physical and atmospheric conditions (astronomy) of the planets chosen rather than relying on astrological concepts. Mars was omitted as insufficiently interesting as was Uranus for being very similar to Neptune. The concept of “conjunctions” is represented by some musical similarities from one movement to another or others rather than being based on any astronomical possibilities.

1.“Mercury” with its huge iron core and extreme temperature fluctuations. 2. “Venus” with its runaway greenhouse effect, thick toxic atmosphere and dense clouds. 3. “Jupiter” with its huge mass, apparently multi-coloured clouds and massive storm or “great red spot”. 4. “Saturn” with its large mass and colourful rings (“A, B, C, D, E, F and G”) comprising ice particles and rocks of various sizes and represented by corresponding keys in the music. 5. “Neptune”, the farthest from the sun (but not quite the coldest planet) with its sizeable mass, bluish colouring and raging winds and 6. “Earth”, planet of abundance, rivers, lakes, seas, waterfalls, glaciers, trees, plants, mountains, plains, deserts and a myriad of life forms but not without dangers.

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