Building a Collection #40
The Planets, Op. 32
Gustav Holst
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“I only study things that suggest music to me…then recently the character of each planet suggested lots to me, and I have been studying astrology fairly closely.”
-Gustav Holst
Welcome back to Building a Collection! Number 40 on the list is the innovative orchestral suite The Planets by English composer Gustav Holst. Although not initially well received by critics, the suite went on to become one of the most important and influential works of the 20th century. It has remained popular with audiences as well and includes the famous central tune from Jupiter which eventually became the British patriotic hymn I Vow to Thee My Country.
Gustav Holst
Gustavus Theodore von Holst was born in Cheltenham, England in 1874, and died in London in 1934. Despite his rather German sounding name, Gustav was entirely English in his roots going back before his grandfather’s generation. Holst’s best friend was another legendary English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (you may know Williams as the composer of Greensleeves). Holst grew up in a musical family, his father Adolph was a piano teacher. Along with piano, Gustav also studied the violin and trombone. Gustav had terrible asthma, and his father believed studying music might alleviate his symptoms. He would also suffer greatly from neuritis and insomnia for much of his life, and several times was on the verge of mental collapse. He eventually gave up violin and piano and turned mostly to composing. In his later years he would often have to dictate his compositions to a scribe due to his neuritis.
As early as the age of 12, Gustav began doing some composing. Although he dabbled in orchestration, he soon became quite proficient in choral writing. He sang and played at All Saints’ Church, Cheltenham. An important moment came in 1892, when Gustav traveled to London to see a performance of the Wagner opera Gotterdammerung at Covent Garden Opera House conducted by none other than famous conductor and composer Gustav Mahler. The experience was revelatory for the young Holst. He went on to attend the Royal College of Music in London.
Holst made his living primarily by working as music director at various educational institutions, and he would compose on the side. He was very fond of English folk songs but was also strongly influenced by the music of Wagner, Strauss, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and various French composers. Undoubtedly Holst was also influenced by the music of his good friend Vaughan Williams, and it is also known he was profoundly impacted by seeing a production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in London. After seeing Dido and Aeneas and appreciating Purcell’s style, Holst vowed to continue the tradition of “English” sounding music. Up until the time of his composition of The Planets, Holst had become mostly known for his choral and operetta pieces such as Lansdown Castle, or The Sorcerer of Tewkesbury, Hymns from the Rig Veda, and The Cloud Messenger. He would go on to compose The Hymn of Jesus, his last important large work in 1917. Along the way, Holst composed some pieces for orchestra as well, but most of his major compositions for orchestra would wait until after The Planets.
The Planets
In his twenties Holst became very interested in Indian philosophy and religion, and he even taught himself Sanskrit to do his own translations of the Rig Veda. As you might imagine this was quite unusual for an Englishman at the time, but then again Holst was mostly an academic by trade. Sometime around the turn of the century Holst also became drawn to astrology and horoscopes, calling it his “pet vice”.
Holst first conceived of The Planets in 1913. Due to his fascination with astrology, he was inspired and determined to write a significant orchestral piece with the planets as the theme. In this sense, The Planets is essentially an astrological work. Holst wrote:
“These pieces were suggested by the astrological significance of the planets; there is no programme music, neither have they any connection with the deities of classical mythology bearing the same names. If any guide to the music is required the subtitle to each piece will be found sufficient, especially if it be used in the broad sense. For instance, Jupiter brings jollity in the ordinary sense, and also the more ceremonial type of rejoicing associated with religious or national festivities. Saturn brings not only physical decay, but also a vision of fulfillment. Mercury is the symbol of mind.”
Holst began work on The Planets in 1914 with Mars, Bringer of War being the first planet composed. Each planet is presented with its own unique character. The final planet composed was Mercury in 1916. It should be noted that the sequence in which the works are presented in the suite is not the order in which the planets are found from the sun, but rather is meant to go from the more physical and brutal, through the peaceful and happy, to old age and the more mystical. Holst claimed that his motivation for arranging the planets as he did was to maximize musical effectiveness. The planet Pluto had not been discovered at the time Holst composed The Planets, and in any case has now been demoted to dwarf status. Prior to its demotion, various scholars and composers attempted to compose a Pluto to fit within the suite, though none of them are particularly satisfying.
The seven tone poems in the suite are presented in the following order, with the commentary on each provided by the late Michael Steinberg, one of the pre-eminent American music writers, as well as program annotator Hugh Macdonald:
Mars, the Bringer of War – Mars is the Greek god of war. The music is marked by imagery of war in the sound of marching drumbeats, the building and falling chords and the huge dissonant climaxes. You can also hear the organ here helping to build the sound. Often considered to be a response to World War I, Holst denied the obvious link. Mars was the first of the planets to be composed, in 1914, before the outbreak of the Great War. Holst’s Mars is a fierce, remorseless allegro. There is no doubt that the violence and aggressiveness heard in Mars was certainly an accurate evocation of the kind of warfare that was about to be seen. It is a brutal and terrifying vision. However, the British conductor Sir Adrian Boult recalled that the aspect of war Holst most wanted to express was its stupidity.
Venus, the Bringer of Peace – After the moon, Venus is the brightest object in our night sky. Following the battle imagery of Mars, the peace and refinement of Venus is very welcome. In The Principles and Practices of Astrology, Noel Tyl tells us that, to astrologers, “when the disorder of Mars is past, Venus restores peace and harmony.” The soothing sounds produced in this second poem are consistent with the astrological mythology of love being associated with those born under the sign of Venus. There is serenity and calm, dissipating the terror of the first movement. Horns and flutes answer each other, and violins have an extended song, but the dominant colors are the cool ones of flutes, harps, and celesta.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger – Mercury was primarily a god of merchandise and merchants, but to astrologers Mercury is “the thinker”. The final of the seven planets to be composed, is light and airy. It moves rather quickly, and you will notice the woodwinds in particular are delightful. The chords move nimbly between different keys, and it forms a kind of “scherzo”, or a light and playful dance. The melody comes and goes, returning many times in different forms. Holst makes this a virtuosic scherzo, unstable, nervously changeable in meter and harmony - in a word, mercurial.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity – The most massive of the planets, in astrology Jupiter symbolizes expansiveness, scope of enthusiasm, knowledge, honor, and opportunity. The fourth movement is by far the most recognizable and popular movement of the seven planets. It would be difficult to find more cinematic or atmospheric music that truly gives the listener a feeling of something grand which it represents. It is epic music, just as the planet itself is epic. It does indeed bring jollity, but also lots of energy and grandeur. The very famous broad tune in the middle of the movement somehow feels larger than life. In fact, the tune is so loved by the English, it is something of a national anthem, sung as the hymn I Vow to Thee My Country (played at Princess Diana’s funeral). In this music is found hope, happiness, a noble spirit, and an abundance of life and vitality. It richly deserves its popularity.
Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age - Saturn is said to have been Holst’s favorite of the seven movements, and it is the longest. In ancient times, Saturn was the outermost planet known. Astrologically, Saturn is man’s time on earth, his ambition, his strategic delay, his wisdom toward fulfillment, his disappointments and frustrations. The music is penetrating and highly creative. Flutes and harps march forward, while you hear the double basses stirring in the background. Old age is represented as a steady procession, slow but not necessarily as a negative. It is thought to be one of Holst’s most imaginative creations.
Uranus, the Magician – Uranus was the first planet discovered in the age of the telescope. Uranus rules invention, innovation, and astrology itself. Some have commented on how similar Uranus sounds to another piece by composer Paul Dukas named The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, even though Holst had never heard the Dukas piece. You begin to hear Holst attempt to portray these last few outlying planets with a more remote feeling, and yet Uranus is also full of character with brass, thumping percussion, energetic woodwinds, and passages with large climaxes. It is inventive and rather magical.
Neptune, the Mystic – We arrive at the aptly named mystic, as it is presented with quiet and delicacy. In astrology, Neptune means confusion and mystic rapport with other worlds. It is a quite different world from where we began with Mars. A wonderfully inventive touch was to add the wordless choir of female voices (sung off stage) toward the end, which fades to nothing as though light was disappearing into the blackness of outer space.
The first complete public performance of the suite was given in 1920. It quickly became very popular and is now certainly the work for which Holst is most known. In fact, Holst achieved a level of fame after The Planets that he didn’t enjoy before.
There have been many adaptations of the suite for numerous instruments and instrumental combinations including organ, synthesizer, brass band, and jazz orchestra. The Planets has been the inspiration for everything from film scores to rock bands to computer games. John Williams, famed film score composer, has stated that he was very influenced by The Planets as a young man, and you can certainly hear the influence of Holst in such scores as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Superman, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones.
The Essential Recordings
The great English conductor Sir Adrian Boult knew Holst well, and indeed Holst asked Boult to conduct the first ever performance in 2018 (which was not a public performance but consisted of around 250 invited guests. As Boult recounts:
“Just before the Armistice, Gustav Holst burst into my office: ‘Adrian, the YMCA are sending me to Salonika quite soon and Balfour Gardiner, bless his heart, has given me a parting present consisting of the Queen’s Hall, full of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra for the whole of a Sunday morning. So we’re going to do The Planets, and you’ve got to conduct.”
Even though the orchestra and chorus were poorly rehearsed, having only seen the score two hours before the performance, Holst himself always considered it the work’s public premiere. Afterward he inscribed Boult’s copy of the score:
“This copy is the property of Adrian Boult, who first caused The Planets to shine in public and thereby earned the gratitude of Gustav Holst.”
Thus Boult became forever associated with The Planets, and he recorded the work at least five times over the course of his career. Boult’s interpretations carry unique authority due to his friendship with Holst and his intimate knowledge of the work. While Holst himself recorded The Planets in the 1920s with the London Symphony Orchestra, the phonographic limitations of the day forced Holst to choose tempos that were probably faster than he would have otherwise chosen, and in any case the sound is pretty rough.
Boult on the other hand generally used more relaxed tempos than Holst across most of his recordings, while especially bringing out the colors and textures of the music. Boult’s 1945 recording with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (on the Beulah label most recently) has great tension and drive and should definitely be heard. But it is his final recording of the work made with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1978 for EMI (Warner) that is essential for the collector. Boult was 89 years of age at the time of the recording, but what he brings to the music more than anyone else is the true personality of each planet and he focuses on making the colors and rhythms transparent. This is not one of the swiftest Planets on record, nor is it the most spectacular sonically. But Boult gets us inside the meaning and purpose of the music, and the suite as a whole makes sense. The sound is also excellent for the late 70s analog time period.
A recording I highlighted in the 50 greatest classical recordings of all-time series is led by German-born American conductor William Steinberg with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1971 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. This remains one of my all-time favorite recordings. Mars is shattering, Venus is touching, Mercury has lift and lilt, Jupiter has swagger and nobility (and is taken at a good clip), Saturn is poignant, Uranus is brash and playful, and Neptune is eerie and mysterious. The sound is forward and makes quite an impact, really spectacular for its pre-digital vintage. One particularly prominent online reviewer of all the Planets recordings mentions the orchestra being out of tune in several spots, calls much of the playing shoddy, and claims it is too loud and too fast in parts. I disagree. I actually like the zippiness of Steinberg, and he is nowhere near as quick as Holst himself or the more recent Jurowski recording. Are there some loud sections? Yes! It is Holst’s Planets after all. But I don’t hear shoddy playing, nor do I hear any out of tune notes. What I do hear is a wide dynamic range, playing of brilliance and sensitivity, forward momentum throughout, and great sound. In my book this one is also essential listening for The Planets.
The last recording that is essential for The Planets is from Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, recorded in 1986 for Decca. In purely sonic terms, this may be one of the best engineered classical albums ever. The recording is from early in the digital era, and the detail, warmth, and luster is astounding. But the performance itself is also exemplary, with Dutoit inspiring passion and refinement from his Quebecois orchestra. Mars is brutal and unrelenting, the first climax bringing an almost visceral impact. Venus is truly calm and peaceful, and Dutoit is in no hurry. Jupiter has a spacious feeling, and I would say the big tune in the middle section has never been played better on record…it is sentimental but not overdone. Saturn is managed with aplomb and control, with an almost metronomic feeling as it builds slowly to a tremendous climax. The chorus in Neptune seems to drift in from nowhere, a fascinating effect. Whenever I listen to this recording, I always feel an inevitability as every facet is done so well that I cannot imagine the music sounding any other way. That is the hallmark of a truly great recording.
Other Recommended Recordings
The Planets has been extremely fortunate on record with many excellent recordings available. In preparation for this post, I listened to at least 55 recordings. The recordings below are all recommended and are listed in chronological order by the year recorded.
The aforementioned 1945 recording by Sir Adrian Boult and the BBC Symphony Orchestra still holds its own as the finest of the historical recordings of The Planets. The most recent remastering on the Beulah label is good, but I listened to it on the Altair label, and I prefer that one. In any case, Boult himself believed that in this recording he came the closest to the composer’s intentions. The blend of the orchestra can be heard quite well, and while the “younger” Boult is more energetic and incisive than his later readings, his interpretation of the work is remarkably consistent across all his recordings. This is an enjoyable performance, and even though Boult’s speeds are consistently slower than Holst’s own, Holst was a great admirer of Boult’s way with the piece. The sound shows its age but is still more than adequate.
English conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent was a lifelong advocate for English music and was acclaimed especially for his interpretations of English choral music (particularly Gilbert & Sullivan music). His 1957 recording of The Planets with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for EMI (now Warner) is one of my favorites. Sargent’s reputation was for his logical, straightforward readings, but happily this Planets is not in that mold. This is a powerful performance, with bold climaxes and an almost otherworldly sound picture. The brass, timpani, and organ pedal enhance the drama in Mars, Saturn, and Uranus. Venus is played to a romantic hilt, with Sargent drawing out more emotion than usual for him. The sound is quite good early stereo. Highly recommended.
German American pianist, composer, and conductor André Previn had a special fondness for English music (in addition to Holst, he made terrific recordings of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Walton as well), and his 1973 recording of The Planets with the London Symphony Orchestra for EMI/Warner is among the finest. Although Previn would go on to record the work again later for Telarc (see other notable recordings below), this earlier account is preferable, as it is brimming with energy, spark, and intensity. The sound from Kingsway Hall in London is outstandingly vivid. This is a strong, powerful reading and you can sense Previn pushing the action forward, especially in Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. There is an equal amount of rhythmic fierceness and lyrical feeling, and the orchestra sounds as though they are enjoying themselves. Detail is revealed throughout, and the proper weight is present when needed. The wide dynamic range brings full bass sound and lovely treble, ideally balanced in my view. A real winner of a recording.
Sir Georg Solti also developed a special affinity for British music during his career. His 1979 recording of The Planets with the London Philharmonic Orchestra makes quite an impact and fits Solti’s extroverted style well. Solti drives the music forward, at times more than is called for, but I love it. Mars is swift and brutal, as it should be in my view, and Venus is graceful and serene. Mercury has a nice bounce, and Jupiter rollicks along. Saturn and Uranus are powerful yet poised. The legendary recording engineer Kenneth Wilkinson chose Kingsway Hall in London again for the venue, resulting in the classic warm and detailed Decca sound. Even though it is an analog recording, it is every bit as good as most digital recordings (with the possible exception of Dutoit’s recording, which is in a class of its own). A very enjoyable Planets.
British conductor Vernon Handley was particularly well-known for his interpretations of British music. The Planets he recorded in 1993 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the finest versions available. It has appeared on various labels, first on Tring and most recently on the Alto label. Boasting first-class sound, Handley’s reading is idiomatic and just feels right. This is a full-blooded performance full of confidence and swagger. The organ pedal and bass effects are thrilling, and even the quieter passages are placed relatively forward in the sound picture. This makes Venus and Neptune a bit louder than usual, but it never becomes too much. The tam-tam notes in Mars are breathtaking as a bleak, violent reading unfolds. Jupiter is solid, even if Previn is more unleashed, this is very satisfying. Saturn is more mysterious than it is for Boult and Steinberg, which gives it more character. It is evident that Handley knows and loves this score, and he draws committed playing from the RPO, a band of sometimes variable quality. The sound is brilliantly engineered, with all the spectacular effects you might want from The Planets.
English conductor Sir Andrew Davis, who just recently passed away in April 2024, must have loved The Planets by virtue of his at least three commercial recordings. The finest of them is his 1994 effort with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for the Teldec label (Warner). The recorded sound is among the best available, with stunning bass and terrific detail. Moreover, Davis elicits a performance of beauty and power. Saturn is particularly impressive, Jupiter and Mars are concentrated and transparent, and Neptune is cool and delicate. The BBC brass are menacing and thrilling. After hearing this recording, I immediately played it again from the beginning, and it was equally invigorating. Everything came together on this one for Sir Andrew, and the sound fabulous.
A more recent discovery for me is the 1996 recording by Roy Goodman and the New Queen's Hall Orchestra on the Carlton label. The New Queen's Hall Orchestra was in the 1990s to play music with the instruments and in the style the composer would recognize. Since Holst is a relatively modern composer, this is not exactly a “period” performance although many of the string players used gut strings as would have been heard at the premiere. What Goodman and the orchestra bring is a faster performance much closer to Holst’s own tempi in his recordings. Goodman carefully studied Holst’s own autograph score and the 1920s electric recordings for this project, and In fact, this is the quickest recording on my recommended list, but I never find it to be too fast. Goodman makes good arguments for the faster speeds, and his orchestra plays marvelously. Along with the somewhat faster speeds, they also play with character and understanding. The sound is very good. Well worth hearing, and it may give you a different perspective on this warhorse piece.
Finally, on the most highly recommended list is the 2009 recording on Telarc from Estonian-American conductor Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Järvi brings a lot of personality to the performance, and there is excitement and precision throughout. I love how Järvi emphasizes the rhythmic details, and accents as well as faster passages with lots of notes that come off clearly and effectively. Brass and percussion are prominently displayed (except for cymbals, which seem recessed). The sound is stunning and cinematic in scope. This is my favorite of the more recent recordings of The Planets.
Other Notable Recordings
Unlike many pieces, for The Planets many of the second-tier recordings are still outstanding and worth exploring. They may not have hit a “home run” in terms of what I am looking for in a recording, but several of the recordings below are highly acclaimed by critics and reviewers.
New York Philharmonic Orchestra / Leonard Bernstein (Sony, 1973)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Sir Alexander Gibson (Chandos, 1979)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Andre Previn (Telarc, 1986)
Philharmonia Orchestra / William Boughton (Nimbus, 1988)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis (Philips, 1989)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Mike Batt (Guild, 1993)
Philharmonia Orchestra / John Eliot Gardiner (DG, 1997)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Litton (Delos, 1998)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Yoel Levi (Telarc, 1998)
The Hallé Orchestra / Mark Elder (Hyperion, 2001)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / James Judd (SLG, 2009)
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski (LPO, 2010)
Thank you for your readership and for sticking with this somewhat long post! I hope you can tune in next time when we discuss #41 on our list, Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca.
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Notes:
Boult, Adrian (1973). My Own Trumpet. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-24-102445-4.
Boult, Adrian (1979). Music and Friends. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-24-110178-0.
Brennan, Gerald. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pp. 616-617. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Germain, Vivienne N. The Planets’ Retrospective: Holst’s Spectacular, Forward-Looking Journey Through Music, Space, and the Mind. The Crimson. December 5, 2023.
Greene, Richard (1995). Holst: The Planets. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-52-145000-3.
Holst, Gustav (1921). The Planets: Suite for Large Orchestra. London: Boosey & Hawkes. OCLC 873691404.
Holst, Imogen (1974). A Thematic Catalogue of Gustav Holst's Music. London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-57-110004-0.
Holst, Imogen (1981). Holst. London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-57-118032-5.
Holst, Imogen (1986). The Music of Gustav Holst. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-315458-2.
Holst, Imogen (2008) [1969]. Gustav Holst: A Biography (second ed.). London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-24199-6.
Macdonald, Hugh (2016). “The Planets,” Suite for large orchestra, Opus 32. Boston Symphony Orchestra Program Notes, Week 4, 2016-2017 Season. Pp. 47-53.
Matthews, David (2002). (1972). Gustav Holst: The Planets, Op. 32. LSO Liner Notes. Pp. 1-2.
Short, Michael (1990). Gustav Holst: The Man and his Music. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-314154-4.
Steinberg, Michael. Holst: The Planets. The San Francisco Symphony. April 2018.