Mars from The Planets
Gustav Holst
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First listen
Listen once without writing. What do you notice?
Listen closely
1 PULSEDoes the music group its beats evenly or unevenly?
Sentence stemThe beats feel ___.
Vocabulary
- uneven
- steady
- marching
- difficult to predict
2 TIMBREWhich instruments create the strongest sound?
Sentence stemThe strongest sound comes from ___.
Vocabulary
- brass
- strings
- percussion
- full orchestra
3 DYNAMICSHow does the music create a sense of tension?
Sentence stemThe tension grows as the music becomes ___.
Vocabulary
- louder
- heavier
- fuller
- more powerful
4 RHYTHMHow does the repeating pattern affect the mood?
Sentence stemThe repeated rhythm makes the music feel ___.
Vocabulary
- relentless
- marching
- unsettled
- powerful
5 TEXTUREHow do the layers grow from the opening to the fullest sections?
Sentence stemThe texture grows from ___ to ___ as ___.
Vocabulary
- thin
- thick
- sparse
- full
- more instruments enter
How does this piece make you feel?
There is no right or wrong answer. Which words match your response?
calmexcitedhopefulcuriousjoyfulpowerfulpeacefultensedreamybravethoughtfulenergeticmysteriouscomfortedrestlessproudsadsurprisedupliftedfocused
Music through time
1914 · 20th-century orchestral
- Medieval500–1400
- Baroque1600–1750
- Classical1750–1820
- Romantic1820–1900
- 20th century1900–2000
- Contemporary2000–present