Mars Bringer of War
"Mars" is a BIG piece of music, not just in length but also in attitude. The 5/4 meter, fast tempo, minor key and frequent dissonance all work together to paint a picture of war and destruction as frightening and horrifying as any picture could. If you look at performance notes for the orchestral version of this piece, the adjectives used most often are "ominous" and "relentless"; in fact, it is said that Holst instructed that "Mars" be played as fast and brutally as possible. 171 measures.