British composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934) composed The Planets between 1914 and 1917. The orchestral suite premiered privately in 1918 and publicly in 1920 and was considered highly innovative at the time. Holst described it as “a series of mood pictures” influenced by astrological and mythological associations with seven planets of the solar system (the dwarf planet Pluto was not discovered until 1930). The piece was first composed in an arrangement for two pianos and later orchestrated. It has since enjoyed tremendous popularity, becoming a staple of the orchestral repertoire, and has strongly influenced scores for space faring science fiction movies. It was recently arranged for both string and piano quartet performances by David Koerner for Dark Sky Quartet.
The movements of The Planets were originally intended to go in Solar System order from the inner to the outer planets, but the order was revised for dramatic effect, starting with Mars, The Bringer of War. Perhaps influenced by its composition during World War I, the bellicose Mars inspired John Williams’s score for the Darth Vader themes in Star Wars. It is followed by Venus, The Bringer of Peace, and Mercury, The Winger Messenger. The giant planets then follow in solar system order, including Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity, Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age, Uranus, The Magician, and Neptune, The Mystic.
The Planets
I. Mars, the Bringer of War
II. Venus, The Bringer of Peace
III. Mercure, The Winged Messenger
Intermission
IV. Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity
V. Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age
VI. Uranus, The Magician
VII. Neptune, The Mystic
Dark Sky Quartet is a northern Arizona-based musical ensemble specializing in celestial and night-sky-inspired classical works. They frequently collaborate with regional events like the Flagstaff Star Party and the Grand Canyon Star Party, blending professional chamber performance with themes of astronomy and dark sky conservation. They have also performed in specialty Grand Canyon raft trips with Canyoneers. Members include violinist Allison O’Bryant, pianist/violinist/violist David Koerner, violist Jacqueline Schwandt, and cellist Stephen Brown.
Member Bios
Violinist Allison Unsworth O’Bryant began playing in Potsdam, N.Y., at the age of 6. She has a B.M. and M.M. in violin performance from Brigham Young University. She enjoys orchestral playing and has performed with the Western Piedmont Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, the Tabernacle Choir Orchestra, and the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. She has also played in various recording studios and collaborated with artists such as Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Sting, John Williams, the King’s Singers, and Richard Stolzman.
Pianist/Violinist/Violist Dr. David Koerner studied piano and violin at a young age and became interested in the planets with the second-grade creation of a model of the solar system. He debuted as piano soloist with the LA County Concert Orchestra in the Prokofiev 3rd piano concerto at age 16 and subsequently appeared with southern California orchestras. After competing in the Tchaikovsky piano competition in 1982, Dr. Koerner returned to planetary interests and received a doctorate in planetary science from Caltech. He worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of Pennsylvania before joining the astronomy faculty at NAU, where he recently retired as Emeritus Associate Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science. Since then, Dr. Koerner has devoted more time to music, completing the M.M. degree in instrumental performance at NAU in viola and violin and a graduate certificate in piano. He founded Dark Sky Quartet and brought solo piano music to his stint as Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence. He was heard most recently in Full Moon Rise concerts in Buffalo Park sponsored by Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition and the Flagstaff Beautification and Public Art Commission.
Violist Dr. Jacquelyn Schwandt enjoys a varied career as a teacher, chamber musician, orchestral musician and recitalist. She currently serves as Professor of Viola and Associate Director of the Kitt School of Music at Northern Arizona University. She is principal viola with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and has taught at music camps and master classes both domestically and abroad, including Suzuki String institutes and camps in Arizona and South Dakota. She has been a featured soloist with several orchestras including the Flagstaff Symphony, the Newport Symphony in Oregon, the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra in Denver, Colorado, where the Denver Post praised her “smooth, warm tone.” She has served as violist with symphony orchestras across the US and Europe, participated in several orchestral and chamber music festivals and has completed recital tours in Arizona, Nevada, Southern California, Taiwan and Spain. Dr. Schwandt holds degrees from the University of Oregon (DMA), Wichita State University (MM), and Southern Methodist University (BM).
Cellist Dr. Stephen Brown is Professor of Music Theory and Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition at Northern Arizona University. He holds degrees from Harvard and Yale, teaches music theory at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and advises Master’s students. He has published research in the theory and analysis of twentieth-century music generally, and his scholarly work has appeared in Music Theory Spectrum, Music Analysis, Journal of Music Theory, and Music Theory Online. He has given papers at the Society for Music Theory national conference, the International Musicological Society, the European Music Analysis Conference, and various regional music theory societies. Dr. Brown has served on the editorial boards of Music Theory Online and SMT-V (the videocast journal of the Society for Music Theory). He is also Past President of the Rocky Mountain Society for Music Theory. Before coming to NAU, Dr. Brown taught at the University of Connecticut (where he served as Assistant Professor) and the Oberlin Conservatory (where he was also Assistant Professor and later promoted to Associate Professor with tenure).
