Andy Zweibel

May 2009

MTC 311

Dr. Stinson

Gustav Holst’s First Suite in Eb – Formal Simplicity in Action

Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in Eb for Military Band” (1909) was composed in an

age in which many formal structures for instrumental works had already been

explored. While music was still very much outlined by the boundaries of form, many

of these forms had been explored and expanded to the point of insanity. Holst was

able to take a step back with his “First Suite,” though, which is one of the aspects of

the piece that marks its brilliance. Holst uses very basic forms in each of his three

movements and the simplicity of his forms help allow focus to be drawn to other

aspects of the piece, including the incredible orchestration and the beautiful

thematic material. These are the true gems of the “First Suite,” and they are set

beautifully against a simple backdrop of formal structure.

As the 19th Century progressed, the boundaries of form became more and

more blurred. Composers such as Beethoven, Berlioz, and others began to push the

envelope on what the public knew about formal structure, extending the boundaries

of form. For example, the first movement of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony was the

longest movement of any symphony to date. Also, Berlioz explored through-

composition in some of his programmatic pieces. Granted, these pieces were far

removed from early-20th Century military band compositions, but as the 20th Century

rolled around, a need for music composed in more simple forms had appeared. Holst
was able to satisfy that with his “First Suite,” a composition in 3 movements, which

only used two different formal structures: the passacaglia, and the form of two main

themes, stated one after another and then on top of each other.

Holst bases his piece off of the first theme that is heard, at the beginning of

the first movement (entitled Chaconne). This theme, initially presented in the

Euphonium, Tuba, and Double Bass, is the sole basis for the material in the

Chaconne, and is also used as a springboard for the thematic material presented in

the following movements (Intermezzo and March). The theme (presented in Fig. 1

below) seems very disjunct (over two thirds of the intervals in the simple 13-note

melody are skips), but when heard, seems simple and connected.

Fig. 1 – Euphonium (Bass doubled at unison, Tuba 8vb) mm. 1-8

This theme acts as the basis for all the melodic material in the piece, but

specifically accounts for almost every measure of music in the Chaconne. The

theme is repeated, in variation, sixteen times throughout the movement. The first

statement of the theme, which appears in the euphonium, tuba, and double bass,

establishes the melodic content to be used. After the melody is stated, Holst repeats

the legato theme in the trombones, this time accompanied by contrapuntal and

chordal legato material in the cornets. This second statement of the theme

establishes the basic underlying harmonic structure for this theme. As the

movement continues, the woodwinds enter, with the low winds (bassoon, bass

clarinet, tenor saxophone) stating the theme and the rest of the woodwinds

supplying counter-melodies. These counter-melodies, however, also add harmonic

interest, as A-natural’s in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh measures imply an

alternating tonic-dominant harmonic progression.

In the final two measures of the third statement, Holst first uses material not

written in the legato style—we hear staccato eighth and sixteenth note rhythms

that lead up to the fourth statement of the theme. This statement, once again,

appears in low voices, although this time the theme is shared by low winds (bass

clarinet and bassoon for a few measures, baritone and bass saxophone), low brass

(euphonium and tuba), and the double bass. Another difference between this

statement of the theme and the first three is that the theme itself is stated at a

mezzo-forte dynamic level (the first time in the piece anything has been marked

above piano, and written without phrase markings or a legato style marking. The

accompaniment figure is made up of repeated eighth and sixteenth note arpeggios

in the woodwinds, and solo work of a similar nature in the first cornet and first

trombone. A crescendo and timpani roll over the last two measures of this

statement of the theme brings the movement to its first true forte moment, as the

theme is stated for a fifth time. The main theme still resides in the low voices,

although the instrumentation has been augmented with the addition of trombones.

The rest of the ensemble is in rhythmic unison, playing a pattern laden with off-

beats. This is the first iteration of the theme that is scored for the full ensemble.

A crescendo in the final two measures of the fifth iteration leads into a

section marked Brillante, and scored at a fortissimo dynamic level. This statement

features the theme in the brasses (along with baritone and bass saxophone and

double bass), but for the first time the theme is not full length. Instead, Holst scores

only the attack to each note, as an eighth note, and leaves the rest of the duration

of the note as rests. This is juxtaposed with slurred sixteenth notes in the
woodwinds, moving primarily in stepwise motion. The shortened notes of the theme

are contrasted with a full length statement of the final note of the theme, which

leads into the seventh statement. This time, the theme is stated in the cornets,

trumpets, and horns, with nothing more in the way of articulation than a tenuto

mark over the pickup note. The accompaniment figures, in the low brass and low

winds, are pesante (meaning “heavy”) eighth notes, sometimes moving stepwise

and sometimes in an arpeggiated fashion. The final two measures of this statement

diminuendo to piano, the first time the dynamic level of the piece has decreased.

This diminuendo leads into the first statement of the theme as a solo.

The eighth iteration of the theme features a first horn solo, backed by third

clarinet. This is offset against legato eighth note passages (including suspensions)

in the clarinets. The phrases are legato, and lead to a very quiet halfway point of

the movement—probably the gentlest moment in the entire movement. The ninth

statement of the theme is as an alto saxophone solo, and it is in this statement that

Holst first uses a triplet figure. The accompaniment to the theme is in dovetailing

triplet figures (on beat three, and then beat one of the following measure) in a flute

solo and oboe solo. Some small solo work in the E-flat clarinet and the first horn add

to the interest of this statement, and lead into the most interesting section of the

entire piece.

In the tenth statement of the main theme, Holst changes the way the theme

is stated. This time, the theme is in the first horn, first and third clarinets, and alto

saxophone, but is stated as an intervallic inversion of the original theme (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 – Horn 1, 2 (Alto Sax, Cl. 1, 3 doubled at unison) mm. 72-80

This inversion is the first time in the Chaconne that Holst does not state the exact

main theme that was originally presented in the first 8 measures. Instead, he uses

an exact intervallic transposition. In this case, the opening intervals of the original

theme—an ascending major second followed by an ascending perfect fifth—are

inverted in direction to a descending major second and a descending perfect fifth.

This process continues for all 14 pitches of the theme. The inversion is backed by

legato moving lines in the clarinets, oboes, and solo flute, along with a few other

select instruments.

The eleventh iteration of the theme also is in inversion, and is presented in

the cornets and euphonium. It is marked at a piano dynamic level, and with a

pesante style. The accompaniment instruments include the 3rd and bass clarinet on

sustained notes, and bassoon, bass saxophone, tubas, and double bass on a quarter

note ostinato. This ostinato consists of two alternating quarter notes in higher and

lower pitch registers. The two note alternation over the triple meter gives the

accompaniment a hemiola feel. The accompaniment ostinato continues over the

twelfth statement of the theme, which is presented in the trombones, still at a piano

dynamic and in a pesante style. The fact that the accompaniment is carried over

begins to add tension, and at this point the listener can hear that the intensity is

slowly building once again.

Holst uses another simple method to build intensity in his thirteenth

statement of the theme: a pedal note. The theme is stated in solos by the cornet

and euphonium, and while there are other quarter note lines moving around it, all

the low voices (bass clarinet, bassoon, tenor and bass saxophone, tubas, double

bass, and timpani) sustain the dominant scale degree (B-flat) underneath it. The

fourteenth theme begins at a piano dynamic, but immediately is marked cresc.

poco a poco in the full band. The pedal continues, once again adding more tension,

and is juxtaposed against a moving stepwise eighth note line in the low clarinets

and the alto and tenor saxophones. The crescendo culminates in a hemiola figure

for the seventh and eighth measures of the period. Then, in a very uncharacteristic

way, Holst breaks form and extends the period by one measure. This adds

significant tension, as the hemiola is continued for another measure, and a quarter

note that ends up on beat three of the ninth measure is used as a pickup into the

climax of the piece, the 15th statement of the theme.

The penultimate statement of the theme is marked maestoso (majestically),

and is presented in the low winds and low brass. It is offset by more legato lines in

the upper woodwinds and brass that are rhythmically offset from the theme itself.

The accompaniment figures include attacks on beat three that hold over the barline

and through the downbeat of the following measure. This pattern repeats three

times, with each attack on beat three occurring at a higher pitch level, until the first

cornet reaches a high concert B-flat on the third beat of the fourth measure of this

statement. The pattern is completed in the fifth measure, and in the final two, the

middle voices (predominantly horn) lead to the final iteration with an ascending

quarter note line. This final statement of the Chaconne theme is voiced in the

cornets and trombones. It starts in the key of B-flat minor, and moves to back into

the major mode of the dominant as it ends. The pedal from the thirteenth and

fourteenth statements returns, this time on the tonic E-flat in the low woodwinds

and brass. Again, Holst extends this iteration of the theme by two measures by

adding a hemiola. The movement ends on a sustained open fifth, E-flat and B-flat.

Holst’s first movement in his “First Suite” is entitled Chaconne. A chaconne is

in fact very formally similar to a passacaglia, and by the mid-20th Century,

composers had begun to use the two terms interchangeably. The two forms are very

similar in the sense that they are both a set of variations based on some initial

motive (usually in the bass). The distinguishing feature between the two forms,

though, is that in the chaconne, the variations are based off of a harmonic

progression, whereas in the passacaglia, the variations are based off of more

melodic content. In the case of the first movement of Holst’s “First Suite,” both

definitions hold true, as the repetition that occurs is both melodic and harmonic in

nature. As such, Holst probably could have labeled the first movement of his piece a

passacaglia without detracting from the meaning of the movement title. In fact,

classifying the movement as a passacaglia might have been the more accurate

choice, because while the melodic structure of the theme does not change much,

the harmony does change quite often.

What is so impressive about Holst’s work with the Chaconne is how he makes

very simple conventions work extremely effectively to achieve his goal. For

example, the movement rises in intensity to a first climax, comes down in intensity

significantly, and rises back up to the final climax near the end. In order to achieve

the first increase in intensity, all Holst does is increase the dynamic level, slowly

shift from legato to marcato articulations, and slowly increase the instrumentation.

After bringing the intensity down, he conjures the driving motion towards the final

climax using two very simple techniques: a repeated ostinato pattern, and a pedal

pitch. These two techniques are extremely basic in nature, but work very effectively

to increase the tension and intensity in the movement until the resolution near the

end. It is this simplicity in Holst’s writing that makes the Chaconne a masterpiece.

The second movement of the piece is entitled Intermezzo, and features two

main themes. The first theme (shown in Fig. 3) appears in the second measure,
after one measure of eighth notes establishing the key of C minor—the relative key

to E-flat Major. This theme is stated in the upper reeds

Fig. 3–Oboes, Cor. 1 (st. mute), Solo Cl. mm. 2-17 of Intermezzo

(oboes, solo clarinet) and in the first cornet. It is worth noting that this theme bears

strong similarity to the Chaconne theme in one significant way. As mentioned

before, the Chaconne theme begins with an ascending whole step followed by an

ascending perfect fifth. The first three pitches of this “A” theme in the Intermezzo

also begin with the same intervallic material.

One compositional technique that Holst employs right away in the Intermezzo

is the use of muted cornet. The cornet, when in straight mute, picks up timbral

characteristics similar to that of an oboe; in this case, the muted cornet is used as

an accessory to the oboes, which are intended to dominate the sound. This is a

simple yet effective way to add a small amount of color to the sound without

changing the overall timbre.

Another set of techniques that Holst uses in the Intermezzo is the use of

syncopation, and the employment of percussion instruments to highlight this. The

first full measure of the first theme in the Intermezzo features syncopation, with an

accented quarter note on the “and” of beat one. This caps the end of the first sub-

phrase, which consists of the pick-up note, and the first two notes of the first

measure. The attacks of these three notes together make up the rhythm of three
eighth notes, and these notes are not only accented in articulation, but are further

accented through Holst’s use of accented tambourine hits as each note is attacked.

Furthermore, at the end of the antecedent phrase (mm. 8-9), the musical interest

wanes slightly. This is because the only material being presented is a sustained note

in the melody and the repeated eighth note accompaniment, which hasn’t changed.

In order to keep the listener interested during this sustained note, Holst adds a

triangle note on the downbeat of measure 9. This keeps the ear engaged on

something until the consequent phrase begins, where the listener can focus on the

melodic content once again. Holst continues this use of percussion as the

movement progresses; the second statement of this “A” theme (shortened; mm. 18-

24) is accompanied once again by tambourine and triangle. This time, however, the

tambourine increases the intensity of the music by playing repeated 8th notes at a

piano dynamic, and the triangle is the instrument to add the accent to the

syncopated figure that begins each four-measure sub phrase. This technique adds

more aural interest to the syncopation, making it a “trademark” of the movement.

As the movement continues, another short motive comes out, made up of 4

quarter notes and 2 measures of sixteenth and eighth note C minor arpeggios. This

is placed over a constant stream of eighth notes, alternating between C and G. In

the low voices, these eighth notes dovetail, with some instruments playing three

eighth notes and an eighth rest, and others playing the rest first, followed by three

eighth notes. This is a simple technique that allows for the playing to seem like a

seamless stream of eighth notes, without any audible pause for a breath. The

motive is shortened and only the second half is repeated, at varying pitch levels,

until a 4-measure long C myxolidian scale is played on sixteenth notes in the

woodwinds, with a crescendo to the downbeat, where the “A” theme returns once

again.

After the “A” theme is repeated one and a half times (the half time by the full

woodwind choir), a “B” theme emerges. This theme is significantly more legato in

nature (it’s marked dolce) and in four rather than in two. Holst brings back his use

of the myxolidian mode for the “B” theme, which is written in G myxolidian. The first

repetition is voiced in the solo clarinet, with a flute solo being added for the

consequent phrase. The melody is then repeated in the solo cornet and euphonium

(see Fig. 4.) over a

Fig. 4—Solo Cornet (Euponium doubled 8vb) mm. 73-89

stream of legato eighth notes in the clarinets. More woodwinds are added during the

consequent phrase, at the end of which the “A” theme comes back. After a short

restatement of the “A” theme, Holst’s real compositional genius in the Intermezzo

comes out.

It is at this point that Holst begins to combine his themes. First, he states the

“B” theme in the low woodwinds and euphonium, and on top of the third measure of

this theme he interjects the quarter note/arpeggio motive. After two measures of

the arpeggio motive, he brings back the “A” theme in the oboe and E-flat clarinet, all

the while over the “B” theme in the low winds. This process repeats, and as the “B”

theme continues underneath, until a decrescendo brings the movement to a quiet

end. In the final four measures, Holst moves that three-note motive from the

beginning of the “A” theme around the entire ensemble, from low to high, and ends

with a staccato C Major chord marked pianississimo in the woodwinds.

The March begins on a significantly different dynamic level, with the cornets

and trumpets playing a three note descending motive at a fortissimo dynamic level.

These staccato quarter notes are pitched E-flat, D, G (concert), and are also related

to the Chaconne theme; they are an intervallic inversion of the first three pitches in

the Chaconne—down a whole step, down a perfect fifth. This three note motive is

traded down through the brass (and extended by one beat in the lowest voices)

before a bass drum solo on the downbeat of the fourth measure kicks the brass off

into the “A” theme, a fully orchestrated upbeat brass theme with the first cornet and

euphonium carrying the marcato theme over the top of accompanying quarter

notes. Holst uses yet another simple way to add tension in the second half of the “A”

theme, where a repeated descending quarter note line in the melody voices is

repeated in the trombones and euphonium as the first cornet continues with the

melody. The theme begins a second restatement, and halfway through is

interrupted by a key change to A-flat Major and a diminuendo down to mezzo-forte

so the “B” theme can come out.

The “B” theme is marked con larghezza and is voiced in the clarinets,

saxophones, and horns. The legato theme is offset by quarter note/quarter rest

patterns in the bass saxophone, third trombone, tuba, and double bass. Once again,

the first three pitches (A-flat, B-flat, F) relate back to the Chaconne, with the exact

same intervallic relationship as the first three measures of the Chaconne theme.

This “B” theme is stated once, and followed by a restatement of the second half of

the theme, before the “A” theme comes back in the woodwinds. This time, however,
Holst brings in some of his use of percussion from the Intermezzo; the triangle plays

a large role in the woodwind statement of the “A” theme.

When the second half of the “A” theme rolls around, Holst begins to increase

the tension again. He starts by stating the first two measures of the theme in the

cornets, trumpets, and trombones, but only the first cornet plays the third and

fourth measures, while the rest of these instruments (plus the clarinets,

saxophones, and oboes) hold a dominant chord. A statement of the three note

Chaconne theme (with the syncopation from the Intermezzo) is heard in the

baritone saxophone and euphonium to kick off a repetition of this four-measure

phrase. This time, however, the chord is an F-minor chord. The second half of this

four-measure phrase is then played twice, first over a D-major chord (keep in mind

the key is still A-flat major) and then over an E-flat minor chord, where a crescendo

leads to a key change back to E-flat major and a short development section.

This section uses has three main components: the trumpet “fanfare” motive

from the “A” theme, a trill in the high woodwinds as this “fanfare” ends, and

underneath the trill, a descending pair of three-note figures from the introduction of

the March in the low brass. This descending line is followed by another bass drum

solo, and the entire four measures are repeated. They are developed slightly for six

more measures, before Holst does the same thing in the March that he did in the

Intermezzo: combining his themes.

At this point, the movement has become scored for the full band, and

everyone is either playing some version of the “A” theme, or some version of the “B”

theme. The “A” theme can be heard in the high woodwinds and first cornet, and the

“B” theme in the brasses. The lowest voices are playing B-flat quarter notes, and
the percussion is in full force as well. The themes continue to overlap as they reach

the second half of the phrases, and the listener begins to notice that the underlying

harmonic structure beneath each of the themes is almost identical. Near the end of

the second half of the themes, there is a slight extension, and the themes start over

again for six measures before being interrupted by a rest on beat two and a unison

“G” on beat two, held over to the downbeat, as the full ensemble picks up the “B”

theme (with some counter melody). As the statement of the B theme progresses to

the climax of the entire piece, a crescendo to fortississimo and a marking of Meno

mosso finds the end of the “B” theme being stated, in the marcato style. The

trumpet fanfares return, as well as the syncopated three-note Chaconne motive, as

if from the Intermezzo, tying all three movements together. The piece ends with one

of the most famous trombone excerpts in wind literature, and a long E-flat Major

scale in eighth note triplets, to a short tonic chord on the downbeat.

What is so incredible about the second and third movements of the “First

Suite” is the way each of the themes in a movement are able to be juxtaposed

against each other at any time. Holst composes his themes so that they each have

a similar implied harmonic structure, and after stating each theme, begins to build

the themes on top of each other, until the climax of each movement, where the

themes are stated completely on top of each other. This is an extremely simple

sounding tactic as a finished product, but it adds an incredible amount of interest to

the piece. This, combined with Holst’s use of the passacaglia-style form in his

Chaccone, keeps each movement interesting and new, and leaves the listener

wondering what will come next. This is the true mark of Holst’s genius, and the

beauty that makes the “First Suite in E-flat” such a staple in the wind band

repertoire.