Even with a roof solidly overhead and four walls protecting from the cold night, Emory University Symphony Orchestra (EUSO) took Saturday night’s crowd on an astrological tour of Gustav Holst’s The Planets.

Before taking off for flight from Emerson Concert Hall, EUSO conductor Richard Prior decided to open the night’s performance with the Overture to Candide. Written by Leonard Bernstein, the piece was lively and immediately grabbed the attention of the audience.

It was what came after the overture that kept the audience’s attention. Consisting of seven movements, The Planets served as the night’s main attraction. British composer Holst wrote the suite between 1914 and 1916. It was intended be approached from an astrological point of view and to convey emotions connected to the influence the have over the human psyche.

The first movement, “Mars, the Bringer of War,” commenced with a dark sound, a low register with a building intensity. Shortly after the atmosphere of war was introduced to the audience, it experienced “Venus, the Bringer of Piece.”
The orchestra approached this piece gently, playing lightly — still with a solid resonance — and more delicately than the previous piece. The overall effect was a contrast with the vibes and themes found in “Mars.”

The next movement, “Mercury, the Winged Messenger,” featured significant contributions from the orchestra’s two harps and its celesta.

According to sophomore celesta player Howard Chern, the instrument is typically only added to the roster when the orchestration calls for it.

Appearing and sounding like smaller and lighter version of a piano, the celesta added a special touch to this performance. It supplied the piece with an interesting and sometimes mystic feel, especially in “Neptune, the Mystic,” which was played next to last.

Also in “Neptune,” the orchestra was aided with the enchanting voices of the Women of Emory University Concert Choir.

One thing that Prior changed from Holst’s original arrangement was the order of the movements. Instead of ending with “Neptune,” the orchestra concluded its performance with “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.” “Jupiter” was originally intended to come after “Mercury.”

Principal cellist Suk Whan Yoon said that Prior did this because he didn’t want to end with the chorus found in “Neptune,” but with a strong feeling, like the joyous sounds in “Jupiter.”

Whan said that each member of the orchestra worked very hard to contribute to the whole performance. “The cello section tried very hard this year,” he said. “It was a hard piece but they did very well, which I’m proud of.”

In addition to a strong and enthusiastic showing from Emory, students from surrounding universities, such as Georgia State University, even came to enjoy the performance.

Hannah Stewart, a sophomore from Georgia State, commented on the huge crowd that the orchestra drew. “This was my first time coming to see Emory’s orchestra,” she said, “and I was surprised to see the seats fill up so fast.”

The Emerson Concert Hall hosted more than a full house as spectators were sitting on the stairs in the balcony and standing along the walls.

Stewart said she came to watch the performance as an assignment for one of her music classes and thoroughly enjoyed what she heard that evening.

“The orchestra did an excellent job of creating visuals through sound,” she said. “It was cool how I pictured the planet in my head according to the music and the title of the movements.”

EUSO performs four to five concerts each year on Emory’s campus. The orchestra’s next performance is slated for sometime in December.

— Contact Malcolm Tariq.