Review of BBC Proms’ Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’: “An evening star”

The 2024 season reaches its midpoint through an all-Finnish-sounding performance under Sakari Oramo’s baton. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the concert, to let us know if its space-themed repertoire managed to put audiences over the moon.

When I was a young composition student, my teacher once suggested listening to what, as he called it, was the germ of Star Wars. “If you like John William’s music, you’re gonna hear a lot of him in its score,” he said. Of course, he was referring to Holst’s most favoured piece of probably his entire production – a symphonic reverie of interstellar proportions, paying homage to the mystic grandeur of the universe.

Holst’s magnum opus (at least, from a popular perspective) is truly a work of synesthetic rapture. Flaunting delightfully crafted melodies, as well as its remarkably stirring textures, its evocative notes often surpass the realm of sounds – capable of conveying every possible emotion through its astonishing ability not only to paint a picture, but immersing us, with striking precision, in the world (or worlds, to that effect) that so masterfully builds around us.

Last Sunday’s rendition at the Royal Albert Hall was no exception to such exceptional prowess. As the BBC Proms reached the meridian of its 2024 season, the venue was taken by the cinematic charm of its fabulist repertoire – regaling us with a night of pure storytelling fantasy, induced by the intoxicating allure of its extraordinary writing and most compelling execution. Performed in tandem by the Royal College of Music and Sibelius Academy orchestras, conductor Sakari Oramo proved absolute command and understanding of the pieces through his technically flawless and emotionally powerful rendition – boasting extraordinary intricacy and attention to detail; enhancing the complexity, delicacy and, eventually, richness of the material through excellently timed dynamics and virtually spotless phrasing.

Preluded by fellow patriot Sibelius’s The Wood Nymph, its sumptuosly evocative tones served as the perfect catalyst for the filmic energy that would dominate the whole course of the evening. The second prologue came in the form of contemporary composer Lara Poe’s latest creation, Songs From The Countryside (Laulut Maaseudulta) – a new work commissioned by the BBC, and celebrating its international premiere in between the concert’s secured assets.

Suggestive and versatile, the piece manages to  sketch a discreet essence, weaved after the influences of romantic tradition and modern avant-garde, with a range going from Bernstein-style sequences to emulations of nowadays opera. However, there’s a general lack of cohesiveness that severely compromises the full journey of its themes – all in all, giving a closer impression to a random myriad of motifs which, though often enticing, are far from presenting a properly assembled concoction where all its elements are correctly interlaced, either logically or instinctively.

Boasting an eerily seductive tone all throughout, the rendition starred also Finnish soprano Anu Komsi. Performing with touching determination and notable sensitivity, her interpretation is beautifully haunting at some parts. Unfortunately, though, there’s a mild struggle in some bits of her rendition, too – with a few excerpts not played with sufficient clarity, as well as a timbre that suggests a slightly worn-out quality.

In any case, there are still many solid arguments to refer to this concert as a robust triumph. Carried out with vigour, elegance and enthralling narrative force, this year’s Prom 46 took audiences into a constellation of ariose enchantment, provided through an exquisitely impeccable tribute to the legacy of Finland’s melodic heart. It portrayed the wonders of lores and skies – and by all means, it came down as heavenly.

All pictures credit to BBC / Chris Christodoulou.

The 2024 BBC Proms run at London’s Royal Albert Hall until 14 September. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara