I notice that most of the comments are by young wind players. I am neither, being an old pianist, but I cannot tell you all how much I admire your enthusiasm. May you have long lives blessed with music.
Seconded. I was a percussionist in my high school band and got to play this and the Second Suite. Treasure these experiences the best you can, friends, and learn all you can. What I would give to have my mallets and sticks back and play music like this once more. Sadly, time and resources don't allow it. Perhaps someday, though.
I'm a middle aged string (cello) and brass (baritone) player and have loved this one since high school. But my brass instrument tends to make me partial to Holst anyway.
Some people say that Gustav Holst didn't have as much success from his "First Suite in E-flat." Holst, knowing that he had to write something better, decided to take it a step up for his "Second Suite in F"
@@thereedbreed same here, when we first played through chaconne, the whole ending where it builds up gave me chills and i wish i could feel those same chills for the first time again
My father died trying to get to one of my professional performances in which we played this piece when I was 17 years old, I played french horn. During our next show a few weeks later, I asked the director and the band if they would permit met to direct this particular piece and add it to the show. It was one of the pieces my father really liked. The band graciously allowed it and dedicated that piece to him. So Holst's first suite in E-flat remains one of my most treasured pieces even now at age 48. I honor him every time i experience it again.
Sorry for your fathers loss, my middle school band was going to play this for our end of the year concert but COVID struck and we had to cancel the concert. I too played French Horn in it and was upset that I couldn’t play my solo for Chaconne. One of the best pieces and I still miss it to this day. I’m now a Sophomore in high school.
I, too, remember playing it with fondness. I loved this composition. For a shy kid, it gave me a chance to show my skill. I regret not continuing my studies!
Holst truly was a musical genius. Whats most amazing is how he builds the phrases not only by increasing dynamics but by adding new sections in each passing along the melody and bringing us to the grand ending of the first movement with the trombones playing the melody. Ah what a glorious moment
It doesn't matter how many years pass by... some pieces from your earlier band-life stay with you. This was always one of my favorites (chose to teach and conduct it during my student teaching as well). Other favorites of mine from my high school years: Shostakovitch: Festive Overture Vaungh Williams: English Folk Suite Chance: Variations on a Korean Folk Song von Suppe: Poet and Peasant Overture Zdechlik: Chorale and Shaker Dance
+Day2DayWithMcK An interesting fact about First Suite is that it was the first original piece written for [military] band. There were plenty of chamber groups and early versions of the modern concert band itself that helped to develop that instrumentation but they essentially played transcriptions and arrangements. As such, First Suite is THAT much of an iconic piece for band now.
There are so many Euphonium players commenting on here, I'm so happy! :D I'm a college freshman this year and that's my primary instrument. I'm playing this piece for the third time, and I still love it!
Yes. I've played in my school bands since Grade 7, and it wasn't until 1st year university that I actually got this piece (because I was in a band that can do it). Don't discount band nerds from places that aren't as music-focused; for lower level school bands, this is a very hard piece (especially the trumpet part).
Every time I here this beautiful piece of music I get a flash flood of memories from hs. It's because of this song that I'm am able to be happy. With a broken down brain due to emotional trauma, this suite keeps me sane and away from suicidal thoughts and lessens my chronic depression.
You had me at _The Planets!_ Speaking of which, did you know that a book on astrology while vacationing with a group of friends provided the spark he needed? m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iqCx07wv1Pk.html
I Played 1st flute and Piccolo for this piece under the great Frederick fennel, and he had me double the Eflat Clarinet for the repeated note in the Intermezzo, as it was cued in my original part. Can't love this piece enough!! Great and correct tempos here too!! Jean Antrim
Michelle Bellamy I personally loved playing the third movement on the clarinet Just that climax with all the high notes was so fun to play and it just felt great I loved it But I did also love playing the first movement it's a very close second
I personally love Chaconne because I played bass clarinet and I love it because bass clarinet get that melody part with low brass for the first movement
Jacob Dyson I have the euph part and its the original (no silly arrangements) and there’s not really any spots that would require double tounging in the march :/
One of the greatest pieces in all of concert band repertoire. I loved performing this, and I come back to listen to this piece every once in a while, just for the chills. Truly incredible.
I play bass clarinet and my band teacher is making our wind ensemble play this piece for our group playing portion for our final exam. Totally hype about my solos in second movement :). We just played the second suite in f in our last concert. Shoutout to my lower winds!
Ihave to say as an oboe player it really challenges you to stay with a proper tone and this piece has helped my ability as a player more than any other piece.. I love this piece it is with no doubt my favorite.
mckenzie kuehl I agree so much, currently I'm playing this in my school's wind ensemble and the more exposed bits force me to focus on tone, intonation, and other aspects that I don't give enough attention.
I played oboe on this song and man oh man, as my first year or so on the instrument after playing the saxophone, that was ROUGH. But it is still so beautiful, and I'm sad that I couldn't do it justice
@@josiahcaminiti4336 Agreed. I played First and Second Suite this year in band and while I don't get to play any of the solo stuff because I'm second chair, it is really nice being able to listen to oboe for a change, especially a really good one at that. Holst knew we were the best. ;)
i’m playing timpani on this piece for my college’s symphonic band. i don’t know how to explain what this means but this piece, especially the first movement, is just so holst. i’m in love.
Sure...it's been said time and again in many ways: The people who have heard this piece over its history - nearly 110 years - love it. So do I! This band performing it...one of the greatest in the world! The U.S.M.C. is so proud of them in their long history. These people strive for perfection. Frederick Fennell has been a very long time band leader and the world owes him a great gratitude!
Frederick Fennell was THE pre-eminent conductor of wind ensembles during his career. When he conducted the "festival band" I played in as a high school student, he made that ensemble sound like nothing any of us had heard - practically all of us said this. A truly great musician and conductor. His recordings with the Eastman Wind Ensemble are the standard by which all large wind orchestras are compared. Thanks, Maestro Fennell, for a great experience. Daniel T - thanks for posting this.
music such as this magnificent piece will be remembered by musicians across the world. With such fine beauty, talent, and sophistication, this is my most favorite piece to play on my clarinet
I'm a trombonist, and I personally find this entire composition to be my favorite! It's utterly breathtaking, and I adore hearing all the other instruments come together. I'm very thankful to be able to play this song. I hope I'll be able to play trombone many years into the future.
I swear, this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. The ending of Chaconne gives me chills. Playing this in band was an EXPERIENCE.
As a high school student, this song was one of many to help me realize the beauty of wind orchestras. I will forever love this song. Conducting it is very fun too 😊
In the spring of 2021, at the end of the Covid school year when our band was very limited in how much we could do, we finally got to have a concert, just before graduation, and we played Chaconne. The weather was gorgeous and the mood was giddy, ecstatic to be performing again. This Sunday, two years later and after dealing with complications of a Covid infection, I get to play this glorious suite in its entirety with the community band. We rehearse in the high school band room under a poster dedicated to my Class of 2021.
I love how there are still some hidden pockets of RU-vid uninhabited by trolls. I love all the musicians on here talking about their favorite parts, their favorite music and their memories playing this piece. No matter how much I've tried to like other pieces as much the First Suite is still my favorite and I listen to it here with 10 minutes worth of goosebumps.
My husband (clarinet) and I (french horn) played these two Suites by Holst in our high school bands, he went on to play them in the county community band for years. We still listen, hum along, they bring joy every time. Holst and Vaughan- Williams were gifts from the universe.
In the late 60s I had the unmitigated pleasure of playing this exquisite piece under the direction of the late, great John B Robbins. What a fine time it was. What special memories. If you are playing this now, cherish the experience. Thank you MasterDecoder once again
If you still own the basoon, all it may cost you is practice time and maybe time and money for lessons. I mostly neglected my cello for 30 years before I started taking lessons regularly almost 10 years ago. I was amazed by how quickly it all came back. It turns out that while one can get out of practice, the knowledge never goes away. And unless you live in a very small town, chances are very good that there is a community band close to where you live.
The city where I live isn't much bigger than that, so you may want to see if there isn't a community ensemble you could play in once you were back in practice.
This is the piece my director has chosen for our high school band this year. We'll be playing it at our Festival in January. I play Euphonium so I hope this isn't too hard! :D
I can personally tell you, as a fellow Euph player, that this piece is pretty fun to play! I've played it a few times, and we're currently playing it in my college ensemble. I think it's on the easy side, but that's just my opinion. Hope your Festival goes well!
It isn't very technically challenging but there are a few parts that are very exposed. Also, you have to make sure to set a solid foundation during the Chaconne.
I'm 26 now, and High School band feels like forever ago and yesterday at the same time. Enjoy every second of it man, you don't get these days back. Unless you go into music performance professionally after school, you'll more than likely never know what it's like to perform with a full band of your peers again.
Even though I was a 1st chair flutist from 8th grade through all of HS and played in my college concert band, I never was able to play either of the Holst suites. The closest I got was a concert band arrangement of "Mars" from The Planets in a summer music camp band. From the very first time I heard the 1st Suite I fell madly in love with the March with both themes being played at the same time. What a crazy masterpiece is this work!
First off, I love this piece, which makes it hurt even more. Listen at 3:50. Now imagine if you are in a high school band; the percussionists miss the roll and the cymbal clash. The low brass can barely muster a mezzo-forte. (After all you have the worlds most timid baritone players and not even the 4 trombones can play loud) And on top of that the flute section (8 members strong) is horrendously out of tune. And I'm in the "upper" band and a little bit of me dies inside every time we plays this. I think it wouldn't be quite as bad if I hadn't listened to this amazing recording and knew how great this piece really is. Anyway, rant over. Enjoy your Holst.
Dude, I'm so sorry. I feel you though; last year band was amazing and fun and we were really good. This year I'm a freshman and the band sucks at the high school.
I feel for ya. So much of beautiful wind band music is destroyed by the "Gray Band" sound. The sound you get when a band is mis-balanced and over loaded. That sound can be a wonderful sound, on parade, in the field etc... but for concert music not so much. Frederick Fennell (the conductor) almost insists on a very specific line up for this piece that is a very balanced , one on a part size band. If I recall it's 3 flutes covering three parts, 10 clarinets covering Eb, Bb1,Bb2,Bb3,Alto,Bass, Contrabass, 2 Ob, 2 Bsn 3 Sax (one of each) , 3 Cornets, 2 Trumpets, 4 horns, 3 Bones, Baritone, Euph, Eb Tuba, Bb Tuba, String Bass and Percussion. By having at most two players on a part (only the inner clarinets) the band is more controllable and each voice can be pinpointed. Also forces each musician to be fully conscious of their part... (tuning, notes etc...) . One of the worst things that can happen in this piece is the final chord.... which has a terrible habit of being sharp in the 1st trumpet and piccolo... poorly executed it can be so obvious even to an untrained listener, throws the whole chord out, and leaves the audience with a bad taste in their mouths.
Gotta say, March has to be my favorite because of the fact that it just makes me smile whenever I hear it or my band playing it. It's just got this uplifting tone that I absolutely love, and the beat is quick yet graceful. As one of the newer members of the band at my school, I'm excited for the day when I can fluently play this song on my clarinet.
Playing this for a concert tonight. It's a super super special night for me because not only is it my first college concert, but it is also my birthday. I'm so blessed to be able to do what I love on my birthday. I hope everyone has a lovely day!!
Hi I'm back again, I transferred to the University of Georgia and I am recommending this as a piece for us to play next year. I also recommended Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Finale because that's one of my favorite pieces ever, if not my absolute favorite piece.
riteofspring1913 We just got this piece today and I'm playing timpani. It's such a fun part. Also, our marching show this past season was based on the rite of spring, it was an awesome show!
Weejus aborigine Nice! We had our winter concert yesterday and it was great! This year our marching show was based on the final movement Bartok's fourth string quartet, Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, Movement 2.
How did the concert go? Also, you played this in marching band? Amazing! I wish I got the chance to play this in my marching band :-) I'm Bb clarinet by the way.
I don't care if you're in 5th grade band or if you're in the marine band. This is an awesome piece of music so just listen to it and stop worrying about who plays it, as long as they can play it good is what matters.
Holy shit man... There were so many memories I made while playing this piece 2 years ago. I still always come back and listen to this piece and it brings me such nostalgia. I played this piece my freshman year and now it's my junior year. This is still the best piece I've ever played so far (7 years playing trumpet). I actually asked my first girlfriend out like an hour or two after finishing up this piece at a competition too. Damn... I always have chills listening to this piece. I can't express how much happiness this piece brings to me.
We didn't have Euphoniums in our high school band and orchestra , 1960-64, and substituted the baritone , which I played, and played a lot of Holst it was our music leaders favorite. We played it at a slightly slow tempo. Loved it then and love it now.
Being a percussionist there is not alot to do on this peice, so that means I can listen really closely to the entire song, and man its wonderful! I especially enjoy the trumpet part on #2!
We played this piece right before Covid hit and never got to perform it my sophomore year of high school. Now I’m a freshman in music school. This song has so many good memories with the bitter sweetness that I never got to perform it. It was everyone’s favorite in that concert cycle.
My sister and I played this together, me being a freshman and her being a senior. We were able to play in the same band for a short while, and I miss it :-(
I played this in my band class, while I was in high school! This was during my senior year! We did not do too well, but; we did do our best considering the time frame. I was a trumpet for seven years and can play rather well, but during the time; I had switched over to French horn. I did not know how to play the instrument at all, but I taught myself on how to play it. It is a F and a B flat instrument. When I say that, it means that you can play both the F fingerings and B flat fingerings on the same instrument to make the same sound. It makes it easier to get to some notes. Anyways, we played this during my senior year. It was one of my most favorite pieces and I got to play within the ILMEA band; I think it is called. That was because I was the only senior who had played French horn at the time. xD I taught myself. (Yay!) I want to continue to learn more, but; back to the story that I always draw out so very long! We did not play this song very well with our band, considering the time frame we had to learn it. Though, when I heard the harmonies and the three different parts to it; my heart felt like it melted within the song. There are just some songs that you can actually feel when you listen to them, or even when you play them. This was one of those. Even though my band hadn't known how to play it super accurately, I still FELT it; y'know? It was my most exciting experience I had ever had. The music moved through me, unlike any other piece. And to sum up my long shenanigans, I felt moved. I was taken above and beyond my own person; and into the music. When I listened to this piece, on RU-vid; I could not help but save it to a playlist. Until then, I will never forget this song, as it has made such an impact on me. Thanks y'all for listening! (Even though I was rambling!) xD
I just switched from percussion to tenor saxophone and then my band director hands me this piece... i can play all my parts but the 16th note runs always get me
My high school band just passed this out for concert season. Chaconne is so beautiful and I'm looking forward to preforming it, even that wack 16th note run
This is definitely one of my all time favorite songs for band. The C above high C for the cornet in chaconne near the end is just amazing. The end of chaconne is so powerful!
I almost get emotional about these pieces... Our band tried playing it last year, during when all the weird pandemic rule stuff in full swing. Our director tried to give us the best band season possible during all the crazy stuff, and I'm so grateful for that. I'm honestly sad, though, as I was quarantined during the night of our mini concert, my first high school performance, and the only time we'd truly perform these pieces. Somehow it still feels like my fault... This song reminds me of all the good times I seem to have let go.
Played this song for as a wind symphony a few years ago...still love it and remember all the parts... Trombones :) and the tubas/euphonium and trumpets are really the core of this great suite of Gustav Holst
This is one of my all time favorite songs. It flows so well and sounds beautiful. Of course, it sounds near perfect thanks to the mastery of the United States Marine Band and the legendary conductor Frederick Fennel.
I remember playing this in high school sitting around doing nothing as a percussionist for a good chunk of this piece. While I would usually be bored out of my mind for most other pieces, this was just so captivating. I swear hearing 5:44 made all of the rests worth it. That has to be one of the best goddamn melodies in the whole wind band repertoire, and even younger me who wanted nothing more than to make loud semi-musical noises on some drums instead of sitting around realized it, too.
You do understand that when you took up euphonium, you joined a cult. I really didn't get that aspect of it until I attended my first Tubachristmas. Those who take up the instrument tend to fall in love with it very quickly.
I was on 1st Trombone and a 1st chair Trombonist. Back when I was a Senior my band played this! I miss it so much and this is my favorite song out of all of the songs in my high school years.
I love this song so much. I played this song when my sophomore year of high school and it was one of the pieces that my band took to California. I guess that's why I like it so much is because it brings up to many good memories
Amen to that! Several years have passed since my last performance of this wonderful masterpiece by Holst, and I still find myself coming back here every now and then to fill myself with nostalgia.
We're playing this in the wind ensemble at my high school. It's my first year with a bass trombone (I had a tenor before), and the bass trombone to this song is so beautiful!
