# Other works by Gustav Holst



## GodNickSatan (Feb 28, 2013)

Most of us are probably familiar with _The Planets_, but what other works by Gustav Holst are worth listening to?


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## TudorMihai (Feb 20, 2013)

Here, at the first post, you can find Holst's symphony.
http://www.talkclassical.com/24085-almost-unknown-symphonies.html

His Somerset Rhapsody, Op. 21





His Japanese Suite, Op. 33





The Brook Green Suite


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## TudorMihai (Feb 20, 2013)

Some more

Hammersmith, Op. 52





Lyric movement for viola and chamber orchestra





The Cloud Messenger, Op. 30


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Hmmm,...so many of my initial thoughts have already been shared except the first that came to mind: St. Paul Suite.

This is also one of my absolute favorite cd's overall:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

There's a good Naxos disc containing various orchestral works that could serve as a non-Planets starter pack: on it are the Fugal Overture and Invocation for Cello & Orchestra, the more pastoral Egdon Heath and Somerset Rhapsody, the tone poem Hammersmith depicting the bustle of West London (a similar idea to Elgar's Cockaigne Overture and VW's 'London' Symphony) and the exotica of the Beni Mora Suite. Fine playing by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under David Lloyd-Jones.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

*Lyrita* has several interesting discs:































/ptr


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

As has *Hyperion*:






































/ptr


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## TudorMihai (Feb 20, 2013)

Looking at all these works, one does wonder why Holst's music, apart from The Planets, is so underrated and rarely performed.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

These *Decca Eloquence* Twoofer is also fab if you can get'em!































As is this Brass Band disc on *Chandos*










Others have already suggested the series on Naxos and Richard Hickox which I can second!

All discs in my three post are exciting to any Anglophile, me included!

/ptr


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## Norse (May 10, 2010)

Isn't _The Hymn of Jesus_ one of his more popular works?

Despite what the title might lead some to think, it's not really your typical 'tamed' church music (or church music at all, I guess). The text is from an osbcure Gnostic text that he translated himself from Greek, and the some of the music is pretty close to that of the Planets, with a Gregorian chant based 'distant and dreamy' Prelude and a powerful and sometimes surprisingly 'rhythmic' hymn. I feel it is more of a 'mystical' piece, than a 'tradionally religious' one.


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

GodNickSatan said:


> Gustav Holst


is he a classical music composer at all?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

sharik said:


> is he a classical music composer at all?


The above mentioned works represent occasional departures from his main thing: *Heavy Metal*. Everybody who is anybody knows that.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

I always admire people who post on these threads and display their extraordinary musical knowledge to us all.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Funny thing about Holst. His other works sound almost nothing like his greatest hit. You could almost think they are by a different composer. Also, though they are very enjoyable, they don't stick with me. Maybe this is still through lack of exposure. I would say the Invocation for Cello and Orchestra is the only one that approaches the same style as The Planets to my ears -- maybe The Cloud Messenger above (a new work to me, thanks) too. I wonder why that is. Why did the works depart so?


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

Hilltroll72 said:


> The above mentioned works represent occasional departures from his main thing: *Heavy Metal*


his _Planets_ rather reminds a movie music, but since Richard Strauss' _Eine Alpensimphonie_ was criticised for the same reason - why should we accept Holst, just because the UK lacks classical composers in its history?... imagine if the rest of Europe starts to push their own 'holsts'. Russia for example could unearth her Glazunov and so on.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

sharik said:


> his _Planets_ rather reminds a movie music, but since Richard Strauss' _Eine Alpensimphonie_ was criticised for the same reason


If You had any clue about the time line You surly know that it was the other way around! "Everything" John Williams has ever written has been based on things he quoted from the planets!



> why should we accept Holst, just because the UK lacks classical composers in its history?... imagine if the rest of Europe starts to push their own 'holsts'. Russia for example could unearth her Glazunov and so on.


The main reason is that he wrote some *fantastic* music, as did Glazunow! It is quite valid to dislike the Planets, but to dismiss a composers based on "one" of his works shows little if any imagination from the dismisser; nope, on the whole I feel that Your argument is lacking in coherence and you really have to spike your arguments with some wit and substance to persuade anyone!

/ptr


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

ptr said:


> If You had any clue about the time line You surly know that it was the other way around!


but what exactly 'the other way around'?... they both wrote the above mentioned respective pieces at the same time almost simultaneously.



ptr said:


> John Williams


who is that?


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## Norse (May 10, 2010)

He's saying that it's not The Planets that sound like film music, but film music that sounds like The Planets. For 1914-16 it's actually a pretty original work. That later film composers were inspired by something doesn't disqualify it as classical music.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

sharik said:


> but what exactly 'the other way around'?... they both wrote the above mentioned respective pieces at the same time almost simultaneously.


You stated that Holst and Strauss sounded like film music and my point was that it is Film Music that sound like Strauss and Holst (That was at least my interpretation of your statement on the Planets etc.)



> who is that?


You write the word "movie music" and don't know who John Williams are? Then You really need to google his name and educate yourself!

/ptr


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

> imagine if the rest of Europe starts to push their own 'holsts'. Russia for example could unearth her Glazunov and so on.


and then dogs and cats living together...


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## GodNickSatan (Feb 28, 2013)

My first thought while listening to _The Planets_ was "holy crap, it sounds like Star Wars!".

Also, thanks everyone for the recommendations!


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

Norse said:


> He's saying that it's not The Planets that sound like film music, but film music that sounds like The Planets


well i did not say his music is not ok to use in movies, i just meant that they should not try to slip him into classical music.



ptr said:


> You write the word "movie music" and don't know who John Williams are?


by 'movies' i actually meant *films* like Fellini's and Visconti's and so on... the guy you are talking about is unknown to me because i don't watch the movies he writes music for.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

> i just meant that they should not try to slip him into classical music.


Oh dear! I think he snuck in while you weren't looking.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

sharik said:


> by 'movies' i actually meant *films* like Fellini's and Visconti's and so on... the guy you are talking about is unknown to me because i don't watch the movies he writes music for.


John Williams is the US equivalent of Nino Rota! A valid comparison is then, one would think, that you do not think very highly of the none film music of Ennio Morricone or Nino Rota because they are very similar in thought and construction of their music, they let their Italian background shine through just like Holst fx. use his British/Baltic.

BTW, AFSIK Holst only wrote music to one film, "The Bells", directed by Harcourt Templeman in 1931. The fact that his music has been copied and imitated by others in numerous scores ("film music") does still not disqualify him as a composer but rather show his stature of importance!

/ptr


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

ptr said:


> John Williams is the US equivalent of Nino Rota!


that is unlikely because i actually am aware what USA movies and their OSTs are like, their very structure wouldn't inspire anyone to write a decent music.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

sharik said:


> his _Planets_ rather reminds a movie music, but since Richard Strauss' _Eine Alpensimphonie_ was criticised for the same reason - why should we accept Holst, just because the UK lacks classical composers in its history?... imagine if the rest of Europe starts to push their own 'holsts'. Russia for example could unearth her Glazunov and so on.


If you look around this forum some more, you will see that Glazunov is quite popular around here.

One could say that Wagner sounds like film music sometimes, since both John Williams and Howard Shore (the author of the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings) were inspired by his musical style. Does that make Wagner a non-classical composer?


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> Does that make Wagner a non-classical composer?


According to sharik's doctrine, Absolutely! :devil:

/ptr


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> One could say that Wagner sounds like film music sometimes


huh, of course Wagner is a film and computer games music among lots of other things, one of which being the most influential of opera composers, the face of the Opera for that matter, while Holst is nowhere near even Carl Orff.



SiegendesLicht said:


> Does that make Wagner a non-classical composer?


yes but that does not detract from him because there's more to his than just classical music and opera as such. Wagner wouldn't mind to exceed classical music and finally leave its limits. Wagner even went as far as to write the first ever musical, that is _Die Meistersingers_.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If there had been films back in Mozart's day I am certain he would have composed for them. Or is Mozart not classical as well? I can't believe I am even contributing this discussion. Bowing out now.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Weston said:


> If there had been films back in Mozart's day I am certain he would have composed for them. Or is Mozart not classical as well? I can't believe I am even contributing this discussion. Bowing out now.


It may be that you are 'trolling-sensitive', but sometimes the urge to respond is difficult to resist. You are forgiven, as I hope you will forgive me.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

sharik said:


> his _Planets_ rather reminds a movie music, but since Richard Strauss' _Eine Alpensimphonie_ was criticised for the same reason - why should we accept Holst, just because the UK lacks classical composers in its history?... imagine if the rest of Europe starts to push their own 'holsts'. Russia for example could unearth her Glazunov and so on.


First of all your comment on British composers is incorrect. Secondly you may well be hearing from someone named Hullunsoittaja who is fairly keen on Glazounov.
Where are you actually based as a matter of interest ?


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

Weston said:


> If there had been films back in Mozart's day I am certain he would have composed for them. Or is Mozart not classical as well?


writing music for films is certainly an asset. Prokofiev and Shostakovitch besides many of their works wrote also OSTs like _Ivan the Terrible_ and _King Lear_ respectively, but there music was profound, while Holst's is superficial.


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

moody said:


> Where are you actually based as a matter of interest ?


Moscow, Russia.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

sharik said:


> writing music for films is certainly an asset. Prokofiev and Shostakovitch besides many of their works wrote also OSTs like _Ivan the Terrible_ and _King Lear_ respectively, but there music was profound, while Holst's is superficial.


How much of Holst's music have You actually heard besides the Planets?
Despite that I love and revere both Prokofiev and Shostakovich, both of them wrote at least as much "Superficial" music as ever Holst did! I fear that You just have not dug deep enough in to any of their oeuvres, because if You had you'd known that you have no case! fx. Shostakovich wrote music to maybe 4 great films (all by Kozintsev and/or Trauberg), but the other twentyfive he wrote music to was more or less just adaptations of catchy Bolshevik tunes written in the sleep!

Just because they were "Russians" don't make then any less superficial, I get a slight feeling that You are just uncritically Idolizing someone from your home and dismissing someone foreign, and that is perfectly fine for anyone to believe, but it does not make it a truth! On the whole, your arguments are flawed but perfectly understandable!

/ptr


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

GodNickSatan said:


> Most of us are probably familiar with _The Planets_, but what other works by Gustav Holst are worth listening to?


All Gustav Holst's music is worth listening to


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

ptr said:


> How much of Holst's music have You actually heard besides the Planets?


none.



ptr said:


> both Prokofiev and Shostakovich, both of them wrote at least as much "Superficial" music as ever Holst did!


yes but their judged by not that. Holst's best is _The Planets_ while their best is the *symphonies and concerts* it cannot even compare with.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

sharik said:


> none.


If You have only heard the Planets how can You judge that it is his best work?

/ptr


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## sharik (Jan 23, 2013)

ptr said:


> If You have only heard the Planets how can You judge that it is his best work?


because i see it gets the most promotion.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

sharik said:


> because i see it gets the most promotion.


I see now that Pachelbel's Canon in D is clearly the best thing he wrote.

Your posts never cease to dazzle me with the light of new revelations.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Weston said:


> If there had been films back in Mozart's day I am certain he would have composed for them. Or is Mozart not classical as well? I can't believe I am even contributing this discussion. Bowing out now.


I certainly have seen nothing like it--I think it's probably Polednice back once again !


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Some people around here seem to forget I'm an old geezer and can't read the mini record sleeves so :
If they haven't been mentioned yet ,his opera "At the Boar's Head" based on Shakespeare's Henry Fourth is interesting. (A musical interlude in one act).
The ballet music from "The Perfect Fool" is good and quite popular.
I must admit to a guilty ignorance re: Holst's music.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

moody said:


> Some people around here seem to forget I'm an old geezer and can't read the mini record sleeves


I always try to ad a link to the record label or some other source for further information!



> If they haven't been mentioned yet ,his opera "At the Boar's Head" based on Shakespeare's Henry Fourth is interesting. (A musical interlude in one act).
> The ballet music from "The Perfect Fool" is good and quite popular.


Never seen a recording of the opera, but there are plentiful recordings of the PF!

I will ignore Mr sharik henceforth much in the way one must ignore a revolving door!

/ptr


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

ptr said:


> I always try to ad a link to the record label or some other source for further information!
> 
> Never seen a recording of the opera, but there are plentiful recordings of the PF!
> 
> ...


EMI have issued a "Collectors Edition" of Holst's works inc. "At the Boar's Head", 6 CD's £18.00----not bad !
I have the David Atherton recording LP with John Tomlinson as Falstaff,it is included in the package.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Here's a nice (non Planets) CD.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I've gone through this thread and am shocked to see no mention of his masterpiece. *Egdon Heath*, a brilliant and serious tone poem inspired by the fictional place in Thomas Hardy's novels. A thoroughly English piece in the mystical sense of the word.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

ptr said:


> but the other twentyfive he wrote music to was more or less just adaptations of catchy Bolshevik tunes written in the sleep!
> /ptr


There is nothing wrong with catchy tunes.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

clavichorder said:


> I've gone through this thread and am shocked to see no mention of his masterpiece. *Egdon Heath*, a brilliant and serious tone poem inspired by the fictional place in Thomas Hardy's novels. A thoroughly English piece in the mystical sense of the word.


Begging your pardon for blowing my own trumpet but I referred to it in post no.5.


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