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How did Gustav Holst use 5/4 meter in āMarsā from The Planets?
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rhythm
Classical poetic meter in music.
In the movement "Mars, the Bringer of War" from his orchestral suite The Planets, Gustav Holst utilizes a 5/4 time signature to create a driving, asymmetrical rhythm.
Rather than following a standard duple or triple meter, this quintuple time measure is organized into an internal grouping of 3 + 2 beats per measure. This specific rhythmic structure contributes to the relentless, martial character of the piece, as the mind perceives the grouping of sounds through the stress placed on these beats.1