St Paul's Suite
Encyclopedia
St Paul's Suite originally titled Suite in C, is a composition for string orchestra
by the English composer Gustav Holst
. It was written in 1912, but due to revisions wasn't published until 1922. It is named after the St Paul's Girls' School
in the United Kingdom
, where Holst was Director of Music from 1905 to 1934. It was written in gratitude to the school which had built a soundproof studio for him. It is written for strings, but he added wind parts for his students at St. Paul's to allow more students to participate. He had written many pieces for his students at St. Paul's, but this suite is the most famous.
The suite has four movements:
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
by the English composer Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
. It was written in 1912, but due to revisions wasn't published until 1922. It is named after the St Paul's Girls' School
St Paul's Girls' School
St Paul's Girls' School is a senior independent school, located in Brook Green, Hammersmith, in West London, England.-History:In 1904 a new day school for girls was established by the trustees of the Dean Colet Foundation , which had run St Paul's School for boys since the sixteenth century...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where Holst was Director of Music from 1905 to 1934. It was written in gratitude to the school which had built a soundproof studio for him. It is written for strings, but he added wind parts for his students at St. Paul's to allow more students to participate. He had written many pieces for his students at St. Paul's, but this suite is the most famous.
The suite has four movements:
- I. Jig: VivaceVivaceVivace is Italian for "lively" and "vivid". It is pronounced in the International Phonetic Alphabet.Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood ....
(alternating between 6/8 and 9/8 time ) - II. Ostinato: PrestoPresto-As a common word:* An incantation or interjection used by some stage magicians* A musical score marking indicating a fast tempo* An exclamation to mean: [to be completed] right away, instantly, i.e. "magically"-Places:*Presto, Bolivia...
- III. Intermezzo: Andante con moto (labeled "Dance" in the manuscript)
- IV. Finale (The Dargason): Allegro (arranged from the "Fantasia on the Dargason" from his Second Suite in F for Military BandSecond Suite in F for Military BandThe Second Suite in F for Military Band is Gustav Holst's second and last suite for concert band. Although performed less frequently than the First Suite in E-flat, it is still a staple of the band literature...
)
External links
- "Gustavus Theodore Holst: St. Paul Suite Op. 29 #2" at Classical Net