Two more songs for Holst's "The Planets"?

Cafe Society
1

The northeastern Ohio radio station WCLV, 104.9FM, is having a contest to suggest already-existing classical music that would best depict Earth and Pluto, the two planets for which Gustav Holst didn’t compose movements in “The Planets.” Pluto was discovered four years before Holst’s death but, at least according to Wikipedia.org, he never showed any interest in composing a new movement (and, indeed, he resented how “The Planets” became far more popular than any of his other compositions).

What pieces of music would you suggest to represent Earth and Pluto? I’d be inclined to suggest some Bach or Handel pieces, but they wouldn’t really compliment or “go” with Holst’s other movements. Maybe something by Sant-Saens, Elgar or Strauss?

2

Naah. Vaughn-Williams is a better match. Maybe something from English Folk Song Suite for the Earth, and the 1st Mvmt of Sinfonia Antarctica for Pluto?

3

Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde?

4

Sedna gets no love.

–Cliffy

5

Neither does Quaoar.

6

What about Chiron?
Also the entire asteroid belt has been snubbed.

7

Beethoven’s 6th for The Earth? Got no idea on Pluto, though.

8

Beethoven’s 6th for Earth sounds good to me.

For Pluto, Cage’s 4’ 33" is pretty close.

9

Colin Matthews composed a new section, “Pluto: the Renewer”, first performed in 2000 … dunno as I like it all that much, but it’s there. (I’ve got it one one of those budget Naxos CDs … ummm … 8.555776 looks like the catalogue number … )

10

I think Copeland’s Variations on a Shaker Melody would work for Earth.

11

Huh. Beethoven’s 6th does seem to fit a lot better with the other Holst pieces better than Beethoven’s 9th, which would have been my first idea.

12

“It’s a Small World” would be great for Pluto.

13

It’s a small world. It’s a bug world.

14

Pluto? How about How Much is that Doggie in the Window?