Mars Music

Humans use music (rhythm and melody and sometimes lyrics) to express themselves  and convey to others their feelings. Shared music is one aspect of shared togetherness, and. social groups may be identified by their common songs. Some music from many genres has been about or related to Mars and is summarized in this article.

The Classical Mars Song

The most famous music related to Mars was composed by Gustav Holst in 1914 as the first part of his orchestral work - The Planets. The first of these movements was “The Bringer of War.” The name we now know it by   — “Mars - The Bringer of War” —  was given to the piece at its first public performance in 1918.  According to Prof. Robert Greenberg, “Each movement in The Planets represents the embodiment of the titled astrological character and then proceeds as an abstract musical composition.” He interprets the movement as about the destructive nature of Mars (the astrological Mars), himself, and the militant music as a metaphor for humanity’s darkest side.

<Ref> The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works - Prof. Robert Greenberg, Copyright 2011 by The Teaching Company.