# Gustav Holst



## Tapkaara

Holst is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers. Like everyone, I first came to know his music by hearing his masterpiece The Planets. This whet my appetite, and I've explored this composer further.

In a way, The Planets, his most famous work by a mile, is rather atypical for this composer's sound world. He is generally a very "English" composer, sounding a lot like Ralph Vaugn William's long lost brother at times, but with more bite.

I've come to also adore his austere tone poem, Egdon Heath, which reminds me of a sort of English Sibelius.

Does anyone else admire this composer, for The Planets or anything else?


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## Weston

I've been listening to his Moorside Suite at work, a most pleasant composition. I'm confused about it though. When I look it up in the Allmusic guide it is for brass band. But the version I have is on a Naxos album of English music for string orchestra:
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.555070 (a great series by the way).

According to the liner notes, he reset it for string orchestra. Having heard this, I'm having trouble imagining it for brass -- unless maybe it makes heavy use of that wonderful soft horn sound as in the opening of Venus. There is a galluping hunt motif in the first movement that could be for brass, but it's stuck in my mind as strings now.

Any way as you say, it is very English and Vaughan-Williams like. I would love to have more like this in my collection.

[Edit: Actually my catalog says I Have Egdon Heath too, and several other of his works on another Naxos album, but I don't remember them. How embarrassing! I'll have to hunt the CD up and spend some time with it.]


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## marval

I like Holst, I think his music has a unique quality. The Planets have to be the one I know best. It is time I delved a little further into his other works.


Margaret


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## Lang

I think Holst is one of the most important British composers, and I feel that despite the popular success of The Planets, his music is somewhat neglected.

If you don't know it, try listening to his one-act chamber opera, Savitri. A masterpiece.


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## marval

Savitri is one I don't know, I must check it out. Thank you Lang for that.


Margaret


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## Kuhlau

Anyone who wants to begin exploring the Holst who lies far beyond The Planets should immediately order (or download) this CD:










The Invocation for Cello and Orchestra is a neglected masterpiece, IMO, and devastatingly bittersweet, too. While Beni Mora is musical invention par excellence. I shall say no more than this. 

FK


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## Lang

marval said:


> Savitri is one I don't know, I must check it out. Thank you Lang for that.
> 
> Margaret


There is a version with Janet Baker singing the part of Savitri - well worth getting if you can dig it up.


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## marval

Thank you Lang, I will see if I can dig it up.

Thank you also Kuhlau for your suggestion, another one to get.


Margaret


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## Rondo

Don't forget First Suite in E flat and Second Suite in F. Pretty fun stuff. 



(I now may have awakened all of the current or former wind band members.)


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## Tapkaara

I have the CD in question, and it is spectacular.

Everything on the disc is great. Beni Mora might be the most easily accessible piece; it a little bit of orchestral orientalism out of the book of Rimsky-Korsakov or Ippolitov-Ivanov. The Invocation and Egdon Heath are a different matter, however. Great pieces of music, very English, which remind me of Sibelius.


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## Kuhlau

Tapkaara said:


> Beni Mora might be the most easily accessible piece; it a little bit of orchestral orientalism out of the book of Rimsky-Korsakov or Ippolitov-Ivanov. The Invocation and Egdon Heath are a different matter, however.


I'd have argued it the other way around: Beni Mora strikes me as among the least accessible - yet most rewarding - works on the disc, whereas the Invocation for Cello and Orchestra seems to me to be very easy to find a way into.

FK


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## Tapkaara

Beni Mori is cut from that "Rimsky-Korsakov" cloth in that is has good, exotic tunes with colorful orchestration. It has all of the qualities that make works like Sheherezade a concert staple. 

Edgon Heath and Invocation are a little bit more cerebral, and require more concentration than the "fun" Beni Mori, in my opinion. Both has a certain austerity that contrast them from Beni Mora's out-going nature.


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## Kuhlau

Tapkaara said:


> Beni Mori is cut from that "Rimsky-Korsakov" cloth in that is has good, exotic tunes with colorful orchestration. It has all of the qualities that make works like Sheherezade a concert staple.
> 
> Edgon Heath and Invocation are a little bit more cerebral, and require more concentration than the "fun" Beni Mori, in my opinion. Both has a certain austerity that contrast them from Beni Mora's out-going nature.


Well, I certainly can't argue with your general assessments of these fine works. Although I really don't hear Beni Mora as 'fun' at all.

As for the other two more, in your words, 'cerebral' works, does the ease with which I respond to at least one of these mean I now qualify as intellectual? 

FK


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## Tapkaara

Let's not let our head's get too big, my dear Kuhlau! 

I do see Beni Mora as "fun," as I see The Planets. Perhaps Beni Mora is the closest work to The Planets in Holst's catalog of compositions. It has all the potential to be a real concert "blockbuster," but on a less grand scale than The Planets.

Invocation and Egdon are not "blockbuster" pieces; this is not to dimish their merits. They just don't have Beni Mora's glitz and occasional bomabst, which would (wrongly) narrow their appeal to the general public.


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## david johnson

the band suites are great fun!

dj


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## Louigi Verona

I like the Planets, though it did make me become disappointed in the Star Wars composer, forgot his name - looks like he wrote something very-very similar. Too similar, perhaps.


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## Tapkaara

Everyone comments on the similarity of John William's Star Wars music and Holst's Planets. And yes, it's obvious that Williams borrowed ideas from Holst's suite...makes perfect sense.

I enjoy William's Start Wars music. Yes, Williams takes cues from Holst and een Stravinsky, but that should not take away from the enjoyment of his scores.


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## Louigi Verona

Well, to do him justice, he was actually TOLD to take cues.


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## Kuhlau

Tapkaara said:


> Let's not let our head's get too big, my dear Kuhlau!
> 
> I do see Beni Mora as "fun," as I see The Planets. Perhaps Beni Mora is the closest work to The Planets in Holst's catalog of compositions. It has all the potential to be a real concert "blockbuster," but on a less grand scale than The Planets.


So, a Mexican stand-off, huh? 

For the record, I don't hear The Planets as 'fun', either. 

FK


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## Tapkaara

I'm really surprised you don't think The Planets is a "fun" work. It appears on so many pops programs...I think there is a reason for that.

Of course, it is not just all fun and games. It is also a serious, mystical piece of music. "Neptune," for example...don;t you feel as is you are alone, floating in time and space so far away from anything you have ever known? It's a little terriying, really.


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## Kuhlau

Do bear in mind one thing: that The Planets was written not to suggest astronomical connotations, but astrological ones. I find this lends the suite a more serious, psychological dimension which negates any idea of fun - however cheerful Jupiter might be.

FK


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## Tapkaara

Indeed.

Holst was an armchair mystic. He was fascinated by astrology more than astronomy, no doubt. His Planets reflect this mystical magical aspect as opposed the the astronomical (the actual heavenly bodies).

So, the music does not necessarily seek to describe the heavenly spheres as much as it seeks to describe the pychological characteristics of the astrological figures.

Notwithstanding, I blend astrology and astronomy when listening. This tendancy is most strong with Neptune. Yes, the music is really depicting a astrological being, but at the same time, one feels very remote when hearing this music. And why not? Neptune is our most distant planet. So, it all kind of comes together for me in that way.


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## Eftos

i bow before that man for one single piece: neptune


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## Lang

A couple of other pieces spring to mind. The third group of Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, which are set for female chorus and harp. The most wonderful, shimmering, crystalline harmonies. Beautiful pieces, quite unlike anything else I have heard. Of course, Holst was at his strongest when he was writing for both female voices and for harp, so it's not surprising that these pieces are so successful. 

Less successful is the Choral Symphony. But despite this, it is still worth hearing simply for the wonderful tune which appears in the final movement. One of those pieces that could have gone in the 'Which music brings tears to your eyes' thread. A great tune treated in a creative and fulfilling way.


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## Yagan Kiely

> I like the Planets, though it did make me become disappointed in the Star Wars composer, forgot his name - looks like he wrote something very-very similar. Too similar, perhaps.


At least it wasn't as blatant as Hans Zimmer's Gladiator soundtrack. That even warranted a sue job.


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## Tromboneman

> Don't forget First Suite in E flat and Second Suite in F. Pretty fun stuff.
> 
> *(I now may have awakened all of the current or former wind band members.) *


haha, exactly. i was reading all his works until i saw second suite, which my youth band just played. it was really fun, except for the anvil in the third movement ( TOO LOOOOOOOUD! ) =D


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## Rondo

Tromboneman said:


> haha, exactly. i was reading all his works until i saw second suite, which my youth band just played. it was really fun, except for the anvil in the third movement ( TOO LOOOOOOOUD! ) =D


Yeah, fun stuff. The First Suite is a little better, in my opinion.


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## bassClef

I love The Perfect Fool, but I must check out more of his work.


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## Edward Elgar

Louigi Verona said:


> I like the Planets, though it did make me become disappointed in the Star Wars composer, forgot his name - looks like he wrote something very-very similar. Too similar, perhaps.


Eh? Where abouts in the soundtrack do you hear this? I've always had the Star Wars soundtrack down as a combination of both Mahler and Stravinsky.

I totally acknowledge that The Planets has been ripped off by movie composers possibly more than any other classical score. The most obvious example I can think of is Hans Zimmer's Gladiator score for which he was taken to court by the Holst Appreciation Society. Just listen to those chromatic shifts in the battle scenes, the ******* doen't even bother changing the key!

However, from a movie composer's perspective, the director will sometimes have a temporary soundtrack made up of various bits of music and then instruct him/her to "write something that sounds like that". This was the "Rite of Spring" in Star Wars and I'm willing to bet my life it was "Mars" in Gladiator.


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## YsayeOp.27#6

Edward Elgar said:


> I've always had the Star Wars soundtrack down as a combination of both Mahler and Stravinsky.


What about Wagner? Compare one of the solo horn Siegfried motives to that of Obi Wan.


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## Rondo

YsayeOp.27#6 said:


> What about Wagner?


If you want to hear a more apparent Wagnerian influence, listen to some of Alan Silvestri's heavier film music (i.e. _Judge Dredd, Van Helsing_).


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## Edward Elgar

YsayeOp.27#6 said:


> What about Wagner?


I am very much corrected, thanks.

Listening to the soundtrack in more detail, it's apparent that Williams has simply assimilated the music all the late romantic greats. How ironic that they were not financally successful in terms of composition and yet Williams wipes his **** with $100 bills! Now THAT'S genius!


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## Margaret

I don't like "The Planets" - it just bores me. It's the reason I've never listened to any other Holst. But reading this thread and finding out that "The Planets" wasn't necessarily typical of Holst and that his other music was more English (which I do like) gives me a reason to give Holst another chance.


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## Tapkaara

Margaret said:


> I don't like "The Planets" - it just bores me. It's the reason I've never listened to any other Holst. But reading this thread and finding out that "The Planets" wasn't necessarily typical of Holst and that his other music was more English (which I do like) gives me a reason to give Holst another chance.


What is it specifically about the Planets that bores you?


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## Margaret

Tapkaara said:


> What is it specifically about the Planets that bores you?


Hmm, it's been so long I'm not sure I can answer that. I just remember expecting more. More power from the Mars section. More beauty from the Venus section. I knew it was about astrology and not astronomy and it didn't evoke the characters for me. Just fell flat.

I'll be listening to it again next month -- in my first live performance -- as the symphony I'm going to is playing it. It's being paired with one of my favorites, Elgar's Cello Concerto, which is why I'm going. If it were just the Planets I wouldn't be going. But, in a happy coincidence, the guy I'm going with loves the Planets, so we both get something we like -- except, as I recall, his is a lot longer than mine.


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## Tapkaara

Well, Mars is probably one of the most "powerful" movements in the orchestral repertoire...I'm surprised that you think it's not good "as is." Of course, it depends on the performance/recording too. For a good Mars, I suggest Levine/Chicago, Dutoit/Montreal and Lloyd-Jones/Scotland. These guys give it the "oomph" it needs.

Anyway, I hope that when you see it live it will change your opinion. Keep us updated.


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## JTech82

Tapkaara said:


> Well, Mars is probably one of the most "powerful" movements in the orchestral repertoire...I'm surprised that you think it's not good "as is." Of course, it depends on the performance/recording too. For a good Mars, I suggest Levine/Chicago, Dutoit/Montreal and Lloyd-Jones/Scotland. These guys give it the "oomph" it needs.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that when you see it live it will change your opinion. Keep us updated.


I'm sorry but Dutoit just ruins everything he conducts. I about puked after the way he handled Ravel. His tempo and timing is just way off. He also doesn't understand about the textural aspects of Ravel or Debussy for that matter.

If you want to hear a ridiculously fast, but furious "Mars" check out Bernstein's. I mean the piece is called "Mars: The War Bringer." Not "Mars: The Wimpy, Peace Bringer"!

Bernstein's version will raise the hairs off the back of your neck!


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## Tapkaara

I cannot say I am an expert of maestro Dutoit, and I have not heard his Ravel nor his Debussy, but his handling of the Planets is very good and it's one of my favorite recordings of the piece.

Another very swift Mars is Steinberg/Boston on DG.


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## tahnak

*Planets - Bernstein*



JTech82 said:


> If you want to hear a ridiculously fast, but furious "Mars" check out Bernstein's. I mean the piece is called "Mars: The War Bringer." Not "Mars: The Wimpy, Peace Bringer"!
> 
> Bernstein's version will raise the hairs off the back of your neck!


Yes! Bernstein does raise the hair off the back of your neck. As I am growing older, I have realised that Bernstein has given many readings his extra-ordinary stamp.

The definitive readings that I have been talking of have been Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, Rachmaninov's Second Piano concerto with Philippe Entremont and New York and recently I heard Mendelssohn's violin concerto with him and Nw York and Pinchas Zukerman as soloist. I have yet to hear a better version of this concerto than this Bernsein reading. The Planets is punch-packed. I have liked the readings of Holst's Planets with Zubin Mehta and Los Angeles and Andre Previn/London and Sir Adrian Boult/London.


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## Margaret

Tapkaara said:


> Well, Mars is probably one of the most "powerful" movements in the orchestral repertoire...I'm surprised that you think it's not good "as is." Of course, it depends on the performance/recording too. For a good Mars, I suggest Levine/Chicago, Dutoit/Montreal and Lloyd-Jones/Scotland. These guys give it the "oomph" it needs.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that when you see it live it will change your opinion. Keep us updated.


I pulled out the CD. I remember I bought it because it was ultra-cheap, one of the LaserLight. It's the London Symphony Orchestra with Geoffrey Simon conducting. You know, it could just be a case of this music simply doesn't grab me. I'll let you know after the symphony next month.


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## Tapkaara

I would certainly be wary of any Laserlight disc. They were one of the first "budget" labels, but, unlike Naxos, usually do not produce a product that rises far above the price.

Sounds like there are any number of suggestion here for a good Planets recording, and I hope you will have the chance to hear one of them. You could do an about face!


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## Lisztfreak

Holst? Holst is excellent!

I haven't heard a lot of him, but I think there's nothing I've heard and don't like. And having read the previous posts here, I've decided to get some more Holst. Especially that Naxos disk there. 

A stupid question: A Choral Fantasia, H177 and the Choral Symphony aren't the same, are they?

As for my favourite Holst work, it's hard to say, but I surely do love The Planets, Egdon Heath, St Paul's Suite and Psalm 86.

Egdon Heath actually was the cause I read the book, by Hardy. A very good book it is, notwithstanding the fact that Realism is not my cup of tea.


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## bassClef

Really getting into Holst lately - brilliant orchestration - St Paul's Suite, The Golden Goose, The Perfect Fool, The Lure. It's a shame most people only hear The Planets.

I've yet to hear Egdon Heath though.


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## Lang

Lisztfreak said:


> A stupid question: A Choral Fantasia, H177 and the Choral Symphony aren't the same, are they?


No, they are separate works. The Choral Symphony is a bigger work, but not necessarily more successful. Worth hearing, though - it has moments of real beauty.


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## Lisztfreak

Lang said:


> No, they are separate works. The Choral Symphony is a bigger work, but not necessarily more successful. Worth hearing, though - it has moments of real beauty.


Thank you! You've solved a fortnight's mystery for me.  I asked because on a stupid amateur radio station I tuned into some two weeks ago, they broadcast the Choral Fantasia (I recognised it immediately because the section with those deep organ pedal notes was playing), but when it was over, the announcer said it was the Choral Symphony. Sloppy ********...


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## Sid James

For me, Holst's _*The Planets *_is indelibly connected to the war years, and even though _Mars_ was composed earlier than the rest, in the months leading up to WWI, it is difficult not to hear echoes in this music of Europe preparing for war. The bulk of the work was composed during the war, and it was finally given its premiere under Adrian Boult around 1919.

I think one of the most terrifying climaxes in the repertoire is to be found in _*Saturn, the bringer of old age*_. For me, it's even more shattering than _Mars_. That repeated slow marching rythm seems to suggest the horror and devastation of war like no other piece to me. Of course, were the suite only to comprise of pieces like the two I mentioned, it would be a very bitter pill to swallow indeed. But Holst lightened it up with pieces like Venus, Jupiter & Mercury.

It is interesting also that he was an expert on Indian culture, and the idea of composing the work came from Sanskrit literature. Often, the music has a similar structure to Indian music, its themes are presented in a cyclical way, often without a climax that would be more customary in traditional western classical music (eg. Venus & Neptune).

I agree that he was somewhat of an underrated composer. This was apparent in his lifetime, as his larger scale works were seldom performed. He couldn't earn a living solely from composing, that's why he worked as a teacher at a girl's school. Hence, some of his compositions were originally written for amateur wind bands & later transcribed for string orchestra (like the excellent _St Paul's Suite_, named after the school at which he taught, if I remember correctly).

All in all, he was one of the great British composers of the time, but the idiosyncracy of his music means that apart from _The Planets_, his reputation is a little insecure. Of course, there are now some very good recordings of his works available, thanks to Naxos and Chandos. I think he is a bit like Arthur Bliss, who has a same situation with his_ A Colour Symphony_, and whose music also shows influences of a variety of styles, from Romanticism, Impressionism to Modernism. These guys are just too complex to conveniently put in a box, and their lesser known works require a bit more flexibility on part of the listener.


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## Margaret

Tapkaara said:


> What is it specifically about the Planets that bores you?





Margaret said:


> Hmm, it's been so long I'm not sure I can answer that. I just remember expecting more. More power from the Mars section. More beauty from the Venus section. I knew it was about astrology and not astronomy and it didn't evoke the characters for me. Just fell flat.
> 
> I'll be listening to it again next month -- in my first live performance -- as the symphony I'm going to is playing it. It's being paired with one of my favorites, Elgar's Cello Concerto, which is why I'm going. If it were just the Planets I wouldn't be going. But, in a happy coincidence, the guy I'm going with loves the Planets, so we both get something we like -- except, as I recall, his is a lot longer than mine.





Tapkaara said:


> Well, Mars is probably one of the most "powerful" movements in the orchestral repertoire...I'm surprised that you think it's not good "as is." Of course, it depends on the performance/recording too. For a good Mars, I suggest Levine/Chicago, Dutoit/Montreal and Lloyd-Jones/Scotland. These guys give it the "oomph" it needs.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that when you see it live it will change your opinion. Keep us updated.


As agreed........

I saw the live performance of Holst's "The Planets" last night and must say I was pleasantly surprised. I went in telling myself to not think about how I didn't like it, but to keep in mind what I had read on this thread.

_I thoroughly enjoyed it._ The Mars movement _was_ powerful and quite the opening movement. And I enjoyed the other six movements for their own personalities. At the end they gradually turned off the stage lights and stars appeared which was a nice unexpected touch. (Scott Speck really is a good musical director with a nice sense of fun which is why it's worth it to me to occasionally drive to another state and see their performances.)

"The Planets" is never going to be one of my favorites, but it's definitely off my "do not like" list.


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## Tapkaara

Ah, a slight change of heart. I know it would happen.

The Planets is definitely spectacular to hear live. You get to see the size of the orchestra, and you can "watch" Holst's brilliant orchestration at work.

Glad "Mars" was given a good go. I have a good handful of Planets recordings and, in several of them, it honestly lakes enough power. I'm not sure what the rationale is when it comes to playing "Mars" with a "speed limit." Mars is the bringer of WAR, so, I'd think, the movement needs to be played with as much shattering abandon as possible.

The Planets is one of my favorite orchestral works, so I am heartened that you may be well on your way to appreciating it more. Like you said, at least it's off you"do not like" list!!


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## Lisztfreak

I've just ordered three nice discs full of Holst on amazon! My first online shopping. Can't wait to have them delivered!


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## Tapkaara

Holst is an awesome composer. One of my favs...I'm sure you will like what you hear. What did you get, BTW?


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## Mirror Image

jezbo said:


> Really getting into Holst lately - brilliant orchestration - St Paul's Suite, The Golden Goose, The Perfect Fool, The Lure. It's a shame most people only hear The Planets.
> 
> I've yet to hear Egdon Heath though.


Yes, there's a so much more to Holst than "The Planets."


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## Lisztfreak

Tapkaara said:


> What did you get, BTW?






























And sorry for making this thread look like the 'Latest Purchases' one! It won't happen again.


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## Tapkaara

Good stuff! I have everything except that Savitri disc. I will get it eventually, but opera really isn;t my thing (I'm ashamed to admit), but I'll pick it up one of these days.

But the two other discs are great. The Naxos has a great recording of Egdon Heath, and almost SIbelian exercise in austerity...really striking stuff.


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## Lisztfreak

Tapkaara said:


> Good stuff! I have everything except that Savitri disc. I will get it eventually, but opera really isn;t my thing (I'm ashamed to admit), but I'll pick it up one of these days.
> 
> But the two other discs are great. The Naxos has a great recording of Egdon Heath, and almost SIbelian exercise in austerity...really striking stuff.


You make me even more impatient! May 14th seems so far away...

The Egdon Heath I generally consider the greatest of all his pieces I have heard by now. An English Tapiola.


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## jives11

Indeed there is much more than The Planets.

3 pieces by Holst I'd never be without are :

- Hammersmith a wonderful piece, I think one of his last. takes some persistence but worth it.
- Choral Hymns to Rig Veda. 
- First Suite in E-flat for Military Band. A really exciting piece


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## Falstaft

_The Planets_ is one of my desert island pieces, without a question.

Don't think anyone has mentioned _The Hymn of Jesus_, another choral+orchestral work of his, full of very Holstian (which is to say, masterful) orchestration and harmonies.

Also, if you like "Neptune," check out this most obscure of obscure pieces, a symbolist poem he set about the star _Betelgeuse_ on this disc: http://www.amazon.com/12-Songs-Op-4...sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1277417761&sr=8-2

Someone out there *orchestrated* this song and it's utterly chilling, but I've lost the recording (might be up on Naxos's website somewhere)


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## Earthling

Falstaft said:


> Also, if you like "Neptune," check out this most obscure of obscure pieces, a symbolist poem he set about the star _Betelgeuse_ on this disc: http://www.amazon.com/12-Songs-Op-4...sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1277417761&sr=8-2


I mentioned in the Stravinsky thread earlier his early orchestral/choral piece _Zvezdoliki_-- its very much in that vein I think.

I'd be interested in hearing the orchestrated version of _Betelgeuse_.

Of all The Planets, I (currently) like Saturn the most-- particularly the quiet section that follows the loud brass-- perhaps Holst's portrayal of a glimpse of eternity beyond old age? Whatever it is, it is beautifully scored.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Holst didn't care for _The Planets_, oddly enough.

His _Lyric Movement _for viola and orchestra is quite beautiful.


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## fusoya

Last night I gave a listen to Holst's Choral Symphony, for the first time in 21 years. This was my formal introduction to both the world of classical music, and of live performance, as it was the first concert I participated in, upon joining the treble section of The Chorus of Westerly.

I know this piece has a reputation for ruining Holst's career, but it was just very ahead of its time. Bizarre would be an understatement. However, it has some amazing moments, from the gradual fade in during the first movement, to the Bachenalle, to the Fancy Scherzo, which we practiced so many times that I don't think I will EVER forget it.

Huzzah for Holst!


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## Reukeboom

I just purchased this off of Amazon for the sole reason that I discovered The Planets earlier this year, and your recommendation plus the Naxos quality, and a very low CD price on Amazon... bam. I'll have it in a few days! Thanks!

PS I duplicated this post... the Edit Post option doesn't allow me to delete my own post? What am I missing?


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## Reukeboom

Kuhlau, I just purchased this off of Amazon for the sole reason that I discovered The Planets earlier this year, and your recommendation plus the Naxos quality, and a very low CD price on Amazon... bam. I'll have it in a few days! Thanks!


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## MagneticGhost

Been listening to my Holst Collector's Edition box from EMI.

Everytime I come back to Holst - I'm struck by how much there is to enjoy in his music. 

Pieces on my current disc

A Somerset Rhapsody
Brook Green Suite
A Fugal Concerto
Beni Mora
St. Paul's Suite
2nd Group of Hymns from the Rig Veda
Ode to Death

Every piece froths alternately with exuberance, originality or beauty. The CD gets better the further through I listen. And I am listening to the Ode to Death now which is deeply affecting.

Not enough talk about Holst on these boards. And I'm as guilty as anyone. My belated New Years resolution is now to listen to more Holst and more often.


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## Ilarion

MagneticGhost said:


> Been listening to my Holst Collector's Edition box from EMI.
> 
> Everytime I come back to Holst - I'm struck by how much there is to enjoy in his music.
> 
> Pieces on my current disc
> 
> A Somerset Rhapsody
> Brook Green Suite
> A Fugal Concerto
> Beni Mora
> St. Paul's Suite
> 2nd Group of Hymns from the Rig Veda
> Ode to Death
> 
> Every piece froths alternately with exuberance, originality or beauty. The CD gets better the further through I listen. And I am listening to the Ode to Death now which is deeply affecting.
> 
> Not enough talk about Holst on these boards. And I'm as guilty as anyone. My belated New Years resolution is now to listen to more Holst and more often.


Aye, and here's Holst taken to another dimension:


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## Kivimees

MagneticGhost said:


> Been listening to my Holst Collector's Edition box from EMI.


Just ordered from Amazon(UK) - cost £13.71 (+ £4.00 shipping) = EUR 24.33

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :tiphat:


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## MagneticGhost

Kivimees said:


> Just ordered from Amazon(UK) - cost £13.71 (+ £4.00 shipping) = EUR 24.33
> 
> Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :tiphat:


 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Don't forget to post your thoughts and favourites here once you've had a chance to listen to it.


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## MagneticGhost

Ilarion said:


> Aye, and here's Holst taken to another dimension:


I enjoy organ transcriptions of orchestral works. One of my faves is Mahler 5.
Is the Planets Suite available on Cd for organ in it's entirety I wonder.

Talking about transcripted versions - Reminds me - when at college playing the 2 Piano version of the Planets with a friend. We struggled over Venus for ages - just couldn't get those syncopated rhythms right.
Whenever I hear Venus now it transports me back to that dusty hall and those happy times.

Thanks for posting the link


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## Ilarion

MagneticGhost said:


> I enjoy organ transcriptions of orchestral works. One of my faves is Mahler 5.
> Is the Planets Suite available on Cd for organ in it's entirety I wonder.
> 
> Talking about transcripted versions - Reminds me - when at college playing the 2 Piano version of the Planets with a friend. We struggled over Venus for ages - just couldn't get those syncopated rhythms right.
> Whenever I hear Venus now it transports me back to that dusty hall and those happy times.
> 
> Thanks for posting the link


Hi MagneticGhost,

I aim to please my fellow TC netizens...Glad you liked the Holst tramscription:tiphat:


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## PeterPowerPop

MagneticGhost said:


> Is the Planets Suite available on CD for organ in its entirety I wonder.


Yep:

*Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 (arr. Peter Sykes)* (Peter Sykes, organ)
Amazon.com









*Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 (arr. Peter Sykes)* (Hansjörg Albrecht, organ)
Amazon.com









The Albrecht recording can be heard on Spotify:

https://play.spotify.com/album/2FQlkG1cGfjkdblbk0gD7D


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## isorhythm

I'm listening to _The Planets_ for the first time in many years.

The most striking thing for me right now is just how shamelessly John Williams ripped the entire thing off for _Star Wars_. I guess I knew that, but had forgotten the full extent.


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## Kivimees

The 6 CD box set - Holst The Collector's Edition - arrived today (delivery exactly on the projected date). I began with The Planets (naturally), but being familiar with some of the orchestral works, jumped straight into the vocal pieces, which are totally new to me. My ears are very pleased so far. Of course, these works need a second listening, but it seems to me Holst's vocal works deserve to belong alongside RVW and Finzi in the English repertoire.

It's truly a pity that Holst is to many just a 'one hit wonder'.


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## MagneticGhost

Well Kivimees - Holst was a renowned Choral writer. If you enjoy the choral works that you've heard so far. (and you still have some spare cash) I'd highly recommend this twin collection from Hyperion which gathers up some of the jewels of Holst's choral output. It is the perfect complement to the Collector's Box you have just bought.


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## Kivimees

Many thanks! I will make note of these. Hyperion has never let me down in terms of quality. :tiphat:


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## jurianbai

So I was examining music for wind/brass band concerto then came across Holst's two Suite for Military bands. I listened and totally shock that the pieces are lovely. I was guilty in thinking that Holst is just about the Planets. Soon I listened to two CDs of Holst. This guy is master of orchestra! I like his musics, all the pieces I listened are fantastic at the same time "easy listening". He has so much creativity over there, the music fall in between Romantics and movie soundtracks. The Planets is still his pen ultimate works indeed, but his other works came very close. 

Here the top ten list of Holst other piece that I like:
1. 2nd Suite for Military Band in F
2. 1st Suite for Military band in Eb
3. Fugal Concerto , for flute and Oboe
4. Beni Mora
5. Sommerset Rhapsody
6. St Paul Suite for strings
7. Quintet for winds in A flat major, Op 14
8. A Moorside Suite
9. Double Concertos for two violins
10. Hammersmith


Yes, there are enough Holst music to do the top ten. I would like to ask other members about their top ten of Holst beside the Planets.


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## Gordontrek

jurianbai said:


> So I was examining music for wind/brass band concerto then came across Holst's two Suite for Military bands. I listened and totally shock that the pieces are lovely. I was guilty in thinking that Holst is just about the Planets. Soon I listened to two CDs of Holst. This guy is master of orchestra! I like his musics, all the pieces I listened are fantastic at the same time "easy listening". He has so much creativity over there, the music fall in between Romantics and movie soundtracks. The Planets is still his pen ultimate works indeed, but his other works came very close.


I've had the pleasure of performing both suites for military band. They are indeed a pleasure. The last movement of the second suite also appears in St. Paul's suite, albeit for string orchestra; I'm sure you noticed! 
I confess to not having heard much of his work aside from the Planets. Apart from the two suites for military band, I've enjoyed St. Paul's suite, In the Bleak Midwinter, Ode to Death, and Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.


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## Steve1087

Don't think anyone has mentioned The Cloud Messenger which is a brilliant choral work.
I have the Hickox version on Chandos which is coupled with The Hymn of Jesus and other choral works on a 2 disc set.


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## Becca

...and I haven't seen any mention of his one act opera _At the Boar's Head_ ... another Falstaff opera but not from the Merry Wives, this one is set to scenes from _Henry IV_, principally between Falstaff and Prince Hal. Dramatically it is not that strong but it is a pleasure to listen to.


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## mikeh375

I'm so glad some folk have mentioned the Choral Symphony. I've known this piece for many years and am still being moved by it, especially the powerful last movement. His use of quartal and quintal harmony is wonderful and there are some heart melting and spine tingling moments.
I've only seen one mention of the Hymn of Jesus so far and so would like to 'big' that up too. There are some devastatingly original and brilliant harmonic moves in that work - a real indication of his anachronistic outlook, him being stranded in middle England at the time of a general trend to conservatism and nationalism.


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## Pat Fairlea

Gordontrek said:


> I've had the pleasure of performing both suites for military band. They are indeed a pleasure. The last movement of the second suite also appears in St. Paul's suite, albeit for string orchestra; I'm sure you noticed!
> I confess to not having heard much of his work aside from the Planets. Apart from the two suites for military band, I've enjoyed St. Paul's suite, In the Bleak Midwinter, Ode to Death, and Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.


Holst's music is often focussed around ethereal harmonies for strings and/or voice, so it is easy to forget that he was a trombonist. And that's why he also wrote superbly for brass ensembles.


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## flamencosketches

Bump for a great composer...? 

I've actually just heard the very famous Planets for the first time quite recently. I want to hear more of his works, as I hear he has written plenty of great things outside of his most famous suite. But I don't know where to start – can someone help me out with that, please...?


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## starthrower

Try Egdon Heath, The Perfect Fool, Cotswolds Symphony. There are also a number of choral works you may find appealing.
A good place to find several of these pieces is on a 5 CD volume of the British Composers Series, Vaughan Williams/Finzi/Holst. Originally on EMI and reissued on Warner Classics. I have this one and it's a great set.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Co...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1577995876&sr=1-3

And the Holst EMI 2 disc set w/ Previn, Sir Adrian Boult, etc. Probably the way to go.
https://www.amazon.com/Holst-Planet...music&sprefix=holst+egdon+,popular,186&sr=1-2


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## Art Rock

We had a Holst game not too long ago, voting for works beyond the Planets. This was the resulting top 10:

1. Egdon Heath, op. 47
2. The Cloud Messenger, op. 30
3. Brook Green Suite
4. St. Paul's Suite, op. 29 no. 2
4. Symphony in F major "The Cotswolds", op. 8
6. 7 Partsongs, op. 44
7. Wind Quintet, op. 14
8. First Choral Symphony, op. 41
9. The Hymn of Jesus, op. 37
10. The Wandering Scholar, op. 50


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## Dirge

I've been revisiting longtime favorite Holst works/recordings …

*Suite No. 1 for Military Band in E-flat major* (1909)
*Suite No. 2 for Military Band in F major* (1911)
:: Fennell/EWE [Mercury '55]




Theoretically, I prefer the sound of a traditional British band in this music, but in actual listening, I prefer the bold and brash sound of the Americans at Eastman, who are so full of pìss and vinegar that it's coming out of their ears.

*St. Paul's Suite* (1912-13)
:: I. Holst/ECO [Lyrita, p. '67]




The pace here is too slow, really, and the playing too gentle, but it's so deftly pointed and nuanced and beautifully, if somewhat romantically, phrased that I favor it anyhow.

*The Planets* (1914-16)
:: Boult/Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra [Nixa '53]




This my favorite account of _The Planets_ from an interpretive point of view-I especially like Boult's phrasing of the big tunes-but the Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra (which is the LPO in contractual disguise) isn't in great shape here and the recording is fairly poor even by early '50s standards, so a good deal of tolerance and forgiveness is required from the listener.

*"This have I done for my true love"* (1916)
:: I. Holst/The Purcell Singers [Argo '65]
https://play.idmp3s.com/stream/-jvr2uH:3ZdTB 
This is a setting of the old carol text "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day." I much prefer the earthy, madrigal_esque_ singing of the Purcell Singers to that of the church choirs that typically perform the piece.

*The Hymn of Jesus* (1917)
:: Boult/BBC SO & Chorus [Decca '62]




This is a large-scale yet concentrated and intense choral-orchestral work that begins with a hushed prelude, given first to orchestra and then to distant chorus, and then bursts (in a controlled and deliberate sort of way) into hymn. It's a fairly unusual work that doesn't really remind me of anything else on the whole, though it does vaguely presage some of the choral-orchestral sections of Vaughan Williams's _Dona nobis pacem_ (1936)-the association is so tenuous, however, that it's probably more misleading than enlightening.

*Egdon Heath*, a homage to Thomas Hardy (1927)
:: Boult/LPO [Decca '61]




This profoundly and relentlessly bleak masterwork is tough to bring off, and Boult is the only conductor on record who succeeds to my ear, doubling down on bleak rather than giving in to the temptation to artificially brighten the atmosphere.

*A Moorside Suite* (1928) for brass band
:: Howarth/Grimethorpe Colliery Band [Decca '76]




The Grimethorpe Colliery Band sounds like the quintessential British band in this recording of one of the cornerstones of the brass band literature.

*Hammersmith ~ Prelude and Scherzo* (1930/31) for military band
:: Fennell/EWE [Mercury '58]




As with the earlier suites for military band, I favor the brash young Americans in this music … and I favor the original version of the work for military band over the orchestral version.


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## golfer72

Did Holst write any solo piano music ?


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