Description
Following the huge success of his orchestral suite The Planets (1914-17) Gustav Holst (1874-1934) had secured his position as a prominent composer. The magical soundscapes of The Planets are very much in evidence in his satirical opera The Perfect Fool (1918-1922).
Holst had penned both the music and the libretto for the opera, but audiences found the libretto bordered on incomprehensibility, and the opera was, unfortunately, a resounding flop. However, the opera’s introductory ballet music was much more warmly received and is often performed as a standalone piece.
The ballet begins with a dramatic and recurring opening motif representing a wizard who summons the elemental Spirits of Earth, Water and Fire to dance. The Dance of Spirits of Earth is rhythmic and earthy with a clumsy and unbalanced 7/8 time signature, whilst the Dance of Spirits of Water is soothing and impressionistic. The calmness is broken abruptly when the fiery and intense Dance of Spirits of Fire crackles to life.
