SMS 2: Silent Influencer

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Slovenian Philharmonic Women’s Choir 

Programme: 
Lucijan Marija Škerjanc, Symphony No. 1 in A major
Claude Debussy, Trois Nocturnes
Gustav Holst,The Planets

A number of compositions from the early twentieth century gained cult status, such as Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Ravel’s Bolero and Strauss’s symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra. Considering the great advances made by Claude Debussy in the development of compositional technique at that time, it seems rather unjust that we cannot attribute a composition of similar renown to him today. His compositional solutions for the sonic depiction of colours, light, impressions and the most delicate nuances of moods have nonetheless been an inspiration to many composers, including Lucijan Marija Škerjanc and Gustav Holst. Rather than being based on a compositional vision, Holst’s popular suite The Planets most likely grew from the concept of the content.