Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (September 21, 1874, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - May 25, 1934, London) ^{[1] [2]} was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. Holst is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets.^[1] Having studied at the Royal College of Music in London,^[2] his early work was influenced by Ravel,^[2] Grieg, Richard Strauss, and Ralph Vaughan Williams, ^[3] but most of his music is highly original, with influences from Hindu spiritualism and English folk tunes.^[2] Holst's music is well known for unconventional use of metre and haunting melodies. Gustav Holst, English composer, 1874-1934 This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Gustav Holst, English composer, 1874-1934 This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto  2(French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen 3 United Kingdom() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() Capital London Largest conurbation (population) Greater London Urban Area Official languages English (de facto)4 Government  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Gordon Brown Formation  -  Acts of... A composer is a person who writes music. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Planets Op. ... // This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, best known for his orchestral work, Boléro, and his famous 1922 orchestral arrangement of Modest Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. ... Edvard Hagerup Grieg (June 15, 1843–September 4, 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. ... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

Gustav Holst wrote almost 200 catalogued compositions, including orchestral suites, operas, ballets, concertos, choral hymns, and songs. (See Selected works, below). An orchestral suite is a suite of stylized dances for orchestra, either originally composed (like the four Orchestral Suites by Bach) or as a series of brief orchestral excerpts from a longer work, such as a ballet or opera. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872. ... The term concerto (plural is concerti or concertos) usually refers to a musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition. ... Gustav Holst Gustav Holst (September 21, 1874, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - May 25, 1934, London) [1] [2] was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. ...

Holst became music master at St Paul's Girls' School ^[4] in 1905 and also director of music at Morley College in 1907, continuing in both posts until retirement (as detailed below).^[2] St Pauls Girls School (or SPGS) is a major British independent school, located in Hammersmith, London. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

He was the brother of Hollywood actor Ernest Cossart, and father of the composer and conductor Imogen Holst, who wrote a biography of her father in 1938.^[3] Ernest Cossart (1876-1951) was a British-born Hollywood actor. ... Imogen Holst (April 12, 1907-March 9, 1984) was a British composer and conductor, and the only child of composer Gustav Holst. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Life

Name

He was originally named Gustavus Theodor von Holst but he dropped the von from his name in response to anti-German sentiment in Britain during World War I, making it official by deed poll in 1918.^[5] “The Great War ” redirects here. ... A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several person acted jointly to express an active intention. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

Early life

Holst was born in 1874 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England^{[1] [5]} to a family of Swedish extraction (by way of Latvia and Russia), and was educated at Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys. For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Pates Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom catering for pupils aged 11 to 18. ...

Holst's grandfather, Gustavus von Holst of Riga, Latvia, a composer of elegant harp music, moved to England, becoming a notable harp teacher.^[5] Holst's father Adolph Holst, an organist, pianist, and choirmaster, taught piano lessons and gave recitals; and his mother, Clara von Holst, who died when Gustav was eight, was a singer.^[5] As a frail child whose early recollections were musical, Holst had been taught to play piano and violin, and began composing when he was about twelve.^[5] Coordinates: Founded 1201 Government  - Mayor Jānis Birks Area  - City 307. ... The harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. ... An organist is a musician who plays the organ, whether pipe or electronic. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A recital (from the Latin word recitare, meaning: to read out) consists of an account or repetition of the details of some act, proceeding or fact. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ...

Holst's father was the organist^[1] at All Saints' Church in Pittville, and his childhood home is now a small museum, devoted partly to Holst, and partly to illustrating local domestic life of the mid-19th century. Pittville is a Northern area of Cheltenham, founded in the early Nineteenth Century by Joseph Pitt. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Holst grew up in the world of Oscar Wilde, H. G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, Arthur Conan Doyle, Gauguin, Monet, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and Puccini. Both he and his sister learned piano from an early age, but Holst, stricken with a nerve condition that affected the movement of his right hand in adolescence, gave up the piano for the trombone,^[2] which was less painful to play. Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... George Bernard Shaw (born 26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland died November 2, 1950, Hertfordshire, England) was an Irish writer. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (June 7, 1848 – May 9, 1903) was a leading Post-Impressionist artist. ... Claude Monet also known as Oscar-Claude Monet or Claude Oscar Monet (November 14, 1840 – December 5, 1926)[1] was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movements philosophy of expressing ones perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильич Чайкoвский, Pëtr Il’ič ÄŒajkovskij;  )[1] (7 May [O.S. 25 April] 1840 – 6 November [O.S. 25 October] 1893), was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. ... Nerves (yellow) Nerves redirects here. ... The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ...

Royal College of Music (1894 site), where Gustav Holst & Ralph Vaughan Williams studied in 1895

He attended the newly relocated Royal College of Music^[1] in London on a scholarship, studying with Charles V. Stanford, and there in 1895,^[5] he met fellow student and lifelong friend Ralph Vaughan Williams,^[1] whose own music was, for the most part, quite different from Holst’s,^[5] but whose praise for his work was abundant and who later shared an interest in Holst teaching the English vocal and choral tradition (folk song, madrigals, and church music).^[2] Download high resolution version (800x1067, 130 KB)Royal College of Music, London. ... Download high resolution version (800x1067, 130 KB)Royal College of Music, London. ... // This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... // This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (September 30, 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... A madrigal is a setting for two or more voices of a secular text, often in Italian. ...

Holst was influenced during these years by socialism, and attended lectures and speeches by George Bernard Shaw, with whom he shared a passion for vegetarianism, and by William Morris, both of whom were among the UK's most outspoken supporters of the socialist movement in the UK. Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... George Bernard Shaw (born 26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland died November 2, 1950, Hertfordshire, England) was an Irish writer. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris (March 24, 1834 – October 3, 1896) was an English artist, writer, socialist and activist. ...

It was also during these years that Holst became interested in Hindu mysticism and spirituality,^[2] and this interest was to influence his later works, including Sita (1899–1906, a three-act opera based on an episode in the Ramayana), Sāvitri,^[2] a chamber opera based on a tale from the Mahabharata, and Hymns from the Rig Veda,^[2] in preparation for which he taught himself basic Sanskrit to avoid reliance on the ‘substandard’ translations of the day. Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... Sāvitri is a chamber opera by Gustav Holst. ... For the film by Peter Brook, see The Mahabharata (1989 film). ... The Rigveda (Sanskrit: , a tatpurusha compound of praise, verse and knowledge) is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the gods. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

To earn a living in the era before he had a satisfactory income from his compositions, he played the trombone^[1] in the Carl Rosa Opera Company^[2] and in a popular orchestra called the 'White Viennese Band', conducted by Stanislas Wurm. The music was cheap and repetitive and not to Holst's liking, and he referred to this kind of work as 'worming' and regarded it as 'criminal'. Fortunately his need to 'worm' came to an end as his compositions became more successful, and his income was given stability by his teaching posts.^[1]

During these early years, he was influenced greatly by the poetry of Walt Whitman, as were many of his contemporaries, and set his words in The Mystic Trumpeter (1904). He also set to music poetry by Thomas Hardy^[5] and Robert Bridges. Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) — an English novelist, short story writer, and poet of the naturalist movement — delineated characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. ... Bridges on the cover of Time in 1929 Robert Seymour Bridges, OM, (October 23, 1844 – April 21, 1930) was an English poet, holder of the honour of poet laureate from 1913. ...

Musical career

In 1905, Holst was appointed Director of Music at St Paul's Girls' School^[4][2] in Hammersmith, London, where he composed the successful and still popular St Paul's Suite^[4] for the school orchestra in 1913.^[1] In 1907, Holst also became director of music at Morley College.^[2] Those two leadership positions were the most important of his teaching posts, and he retained both posts until the end of his life.^[2] 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... St Pauls Girls School (or SPGS) is a major British independent school, located in Hammersmith, London. ... Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, approximately 5 miles (8km) west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames. ... Gustav Holst Introduction (Op. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. ...

During the first two decades of the 20th century, musical society as a whole, and Holst's friend Vaughan Williams in particular, became interested in old English folksongs, madrigal singers,^[2] and Tudor composers. Holst shared in his friend’s admiration for the simplicity and economy of these melodies, and their use in his compositions is one of his music’s most recognizable features. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Holst was an avid rambler. He walked extensively in Italy and France, and had covered nearly every path in England by the time of his death^{[citation needed]}. He also travelled outside the bounds of Europe, heading to French-controlled Algeria in 1906 on doctor's orders as a treatment for asthma and the depression that crippled him after his submission failed to win the Ricordi Prize, a coveted award for composition. His travels in the Arab and Berber land, including an extensive bicycle tour of the Algerian Sahara, inspired the suite Beni Mora, written upon his return. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... The Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa west of the Nile Valley. ...

After the lukewarm reception of his choral work The Cloud Messenger in 1912, Holst was again off travelling, financing a trip with fellow composers Balfour Gardiner and brothers Clifford Bax and Arnold Bax to Spain, with funds from an anonymous donation. Despite being shy, Holst was fascinated by people and society, and had always believed that the best way to learn about a city was to get lost in it. In Gerona, Catalonia, he often disappeared, only to be found hours later by his friends having abstract debates with local musicians. It was in Spain that Clifford Bax introduced Holst to astrology, a hobby that was to inspire the later Planets suite. He read astrological fortunes until his death, and called his interest in the stars his "pet vice." Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877–1950) was an English musician, composer, and teacher. ... Clifford Bax (13 July 1886 - 18 November 1962) was a versatile English writer, known particularly as a playwright, a journalist, critic and editor, and a poet, lyricist and hymn writer. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Girona (Catalan: Girona, Spanish: Gerona, French: Gérone) is a city located in the northwest of Catalonia, Spain on the confluence of the rivers Ter and Onyar. ... See also Principality of Catalonia (for the historic territory) and Northern Catalonia. ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... The Planets Op. ...

Shortly after his return, St Paul’s Girls School^[4] opened a new music wing, and Holst composed St Paul’s Suite^[4] for the occasion.^[1] At around this time (1913), Stravinsky premiered the Rite of Spring, sparking riots in Paris and caustic criticism in London. A year later, Holst first heard Schoenberg’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, an ‘ultra-modern’ set of five movements employing ‘extreme chromaticism’ (the consistent use of all 12 musical notes). Holst would have certainly been affected by the performance and, although he had earlier lampooned the stranger aspects of modern music (he had a strong sense of humour), the new music of Stravinsky^[2] and Schoenberg influenced, if not initially spurred, his work on The Planets. Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... The Rite of Spring is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ... Schoenberg redirects here. ... Five Pieces for Orchestra (Fünf Orchesterstücke, Op. ... In music, chromatic indicates the inclusion of notes not in the prevailing scale and is also used for those notes themselves (Shir-Cliff et al 1965, p. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... Schoenberg redirects here. ...

Holst's compositions for wind band, though relatively small in number, guaranteed him a position as the medium's cornerstone, as seen in innumerable present-day programmes featuring his two Suites for Military Band. His one work for brass band, A Moorside Suite, remains an important part of the brass band repertoire. A wind band, also called concert band, symphonic band, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, and string bass. ... A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ...

The Planets

Main article: The Planets

Holst and wife Isobel bought a cottage in Thaxted, Essex and, surrounded by medieval buildings and ample rambling opportunities, he started work on the suite that would become his best known work, the orchestral suite The Planets. It was meant to be a series of ‘mood pictures’ rather than anything concretely connected with astrology or astronomy, though Holst was known to have been using the book What Is A Horoscope by Alan Leo as a guide: The Planets Op. ... Thaxted is a small town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, with a population of around 2,600 people. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... It has been suggested that Suite_de_Danses be merged into this article or section. ... The Planets Op. ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant Astronomy is the science of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere (such as auroras and cosmic background radiation). ... Alan Leo Alan Leo, born William Frederick Allan, (Westminster, 7 August 1860 - Bude, 30 August 1917), was a prominent British astrologer, author, publisher and theosophist, and is considered by many to be the father of modern astrology. ...

• Mars – Independent, Ambitious, Headstrong
• Venus – Awakens Affection and Emotion
• Mercury – The ‘Winged Messenger of the Gods’, Resourceful, Adaptable
• Jupiter – Brings Abundance, Perseverance

Holst was also influenced by a 19th-century astrologer called Raphael, whose book concerning the planets' role in world affairs led Holst to develop the grand vision of the planets that made The Planets suite such an enduring success. Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... Adjectives: Venusian or (rarely) Cytherean Atmosphere Surface pressure: 9. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... Adjectives: Jovian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 20–200 kPa[4] (cloud layer) Composition: ~86% Molecular hydrogen ~13% Helium 0. ... For the periodical, see Nineteenth Century (periodical). ... An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. ...

The work was finished in two stages, with Mars, Venus and Jupiter written at one time, and Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Mercury written after a break that Holst had taken to work on other pieces. The work was finished in 1916.^[1] The influence of Stravinsky was picked up by a critic who called it ‘the English Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)’. Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... The Rite of Spring is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ... The Rite of Spring is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ...

The first of the seven pieces is Mars, ‘the most ferocious piece of music in existence’, evoking a battle scene of immense proportion with its signature 5/4 metre (it changes to 5/2 and 3/4 at the end) and blatant dissonance. Holst directed that it be played slightly faster than a regular march, giving it a mechanized and inhuman character. It is often a surprise to learn that Mars was actually finished just before the horrors of World War I. Mars is easily Holst’s most famous piece, and has been quoted in everything from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos to The Venture Brothers episode, Hate Floats. In music, a consonance (Latin consonare, sounding together) is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance, which is considered unstable. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... Cosmos: A Personal Voyage was the name of a thirteen part television series produced by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan which was first broadcast by the Public Broadcasting Service in 1980. ... The Venture Bros. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ...

Calm Venus and self-satisfied Jupiter, both also quite well known, demonstrate influence from Vaughan Williams, Stravinsky, Elgar and Schoenberg. A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 â€“ 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... Schoenberg redirects here. ...

Uranus at first appears to be a quirky and frenetic homage to Dukas’s The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but Holst did not know the Frenchman's score at the time. Neptune is mysterious and evokes an other-worldly scene. Adjectives: Uranian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 120 kPa (at the cloud level) Composition: 83% Hydrogen 15% Helium 1. ... Paul Dukas (October 1, 1865-May 17, 1935) was a Parisian-born French composer and teacher of classical music. ... The Sorcerers Apprentice is the English name of both an 1897 symphonic poem by Paul Dukas (Lapprenti sorcier in French), and of a 1797 ballad by Goethe (Der Zauberlehrling in German), which inspired the musical work. ... Adjectives: Neptunian Atmosphere Surface pressure: ≫ 100 kPa (cloud level) Composition: 80% ± 3. ...

Most original is Saturn, in which 'a threatening clock ticks inexorably as the bassline, revealing both the dignity and frailties of old age'. Saturn was reputedly Holst's favourite of the seven movements. Adjectives: Saturnian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 140 kPa Composition: >93% hydrogen >5% helium 0. ...

Holst lived to see the discovery of Pluto in 1930. Although it was immediately accepted as a planet, Holst chose not to add Pluto to his suite. He seems to have been vindicated by the 2006 decision by the International Astronomical Union to downgrade Pluto's planetary status to that of dwarf planet. A piece entitled "Pluto: The Renewer" was composed by Colin Matthews in 2000, and it has been occasionally included in performances of The Planets. Adjectives: Plutonian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... The 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that, in the solar system, a planet is a celestial body that: is in orbit around the Sun, has sufficient mass so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... The current version of the article or section is written like an essay. ...

Holst himself conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in the very first electrical recording of The Planets, in 1926, for HMV. Although, as his daughter Imogen noted, he couldn't quite achieve the gradual fade-out of women's voices and orchestra he had written (owing to the limitations of early electrical recording), it was a landmark recording of the work. The performance was later issued on LP and CD format. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

At the onset of World War I, Holst tried to enlist but was rejected because of his bad eyes, bad lungs, and bad digestion. In wartime England, Holst was persuaded to drop the ‘von’ from his name, as it aroused suspicion. His new music, however, was readily received, as ‘patriotic’ and English music was demanded at concert halls, partly due to a ban on all ‘Teutonic’ music. Towards the end of the war he was offered a post within the YMCA’s educational work programme as Musical Director, and he set off for Salonica (present day Thessoliniki, Greece) and Constantinople in 1918. While he was teaching music to troops eager to escape the drudgery of army life, The Planets Suite was being performed to audiences back home. Shortly after his return after the war’s end, Holst composed Ode to Death, based upon a poem by Walt Whitman. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The term Germanic peoples may refer to: the Germanic tribes that in the first millennium were seen as a barbarian threat by the Roman Empire and its successors; the Germanic Christianity that in the second millennium came to dominate much of Northern Europe, politically organized in the Holy Roman Empire... This article is about the association. ... The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ...

During the years 1920 – 1923, Holst's popularity grew through the success of The Planets and The Hymn of Jesus (1917)^[1] (based on the Apocryphal gospels), and the publication of a new opera, The Perfect Fool (a satire of a work by Wagner). Holst became something of 'an anomaly, a famous English composer’, and was busy with conducting, lecturing, and teaching obligations. He hated publicity – he often refused to answer questions posed by the press, and when asked for his autograph, handed out prepared cards that read, “I do not hand out my autograph”. Though he may not have liked the attention, he appreciated having enough money for the first time in his life. Always frail, after a collapse in 1923 he retired from teaching to devote the remaining (eleven) years of his life to composition.^[1] 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... In the process of determining the Biblical canon, a large number of works were excluded from the New Testament. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ...

Later life

In the following years, he took advantage of new technology to publicize his work through sound recordings and the BBC’s ‘wireless’ broadcasts. In 1927, he was commissioned by the New York Symphony Orchestra to write a symphony. He took this opportunity to work on an orchestral piece based on Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, a work that would become Egdon Heath, and which would be first performed a month after Hardy’s death, in his memory. By this time, Holst was ‘going out of fashion’, and the piece was poorly reviewed. However, Holst is said to have considered the short, subdued but powerful tone poem his greatest masterpiece. The piece has been much better received in recent years, with several recordings available. The British Broadcasting Corporation,which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... The New York Symphony Society was an orchestra founded in New York City by Leopold Damrosch in 1878. ... Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) — an English novelist, short story writer, and poet of the naturalist movement — delineated characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... Egdon Heath is a fictitious name given to an area of moorland between Dorchester and Bournemouth in the county of Dorset, England. ...

Towards the end of his life, in 1930, Gustav Holst wrote Choral Fantasia (1930)^[1], and he was commissioned by the BBC to write a piece for military band: the resulting Hammersmith was a tribute to the place where he had spent most of his life, a musical expression of the London borough (of Hammersmith), which begins with an attempt to recreate the haunting sound of the River Thames sleepily flowing its way. The British Broadcasting Corporation,which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, approximately 5 miles (8km) west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, and one of the major waterways in England. ...

Gustav Holst had a lifetime of poor health worsened by a concussion during a backward fall from the conductor's podium, from which he never fully recovered.^[5] In his final 4 years, Holst grew ill with stomach problems. One of his last compositions, The Brook Green Suite, named after the land on which St Paul’s Girls’ School^[4] was built, was performed for the first time a few months before his death. He died of complications following stomach surgery, in London, on May 25, 1934. His ashes were interred at Chichester Cathedral in West Sussex, with Bishop George Bell giving the memorial oration at the funeral. Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), is the most common and least serious type of traumatic brain injury. ... A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. ... Gustav Holsts Brook Green Suite was written in 1933 for St Pauls Girls School junior orchestra. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chichester Cathedral today Chichester Cathedral, illustrated circa 1650 The Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, West Sussex, England is an Anglican Cathedral. ... West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex (with Brighton and Hove), Hampshire and Surrey. ... George Kennedy Allen Bell (born February 4, 1883 in Hayling Island, Hampshire; died October 3, 1958 in Canterbury) was an Anglican theologian, Dean of Canterbury , Bishop of Chichester, member of House of Lords and a pioneer of the Ecumenical Movement. ...

Audio Biography

In 2007, BBC Radio 4 produced a radio play "The Bringer of Peace" by Martyn Wade, which is an intimate biographical portrait of composer Gustav Holst. The play follows his early dismay at his lack of composing success, to the creation of the Planets Suite; it is in seven tiers, following the structure of the Planets Suite. Adrian Scarborough played Gustav Holst. The producer was David Hitchinson. [1]

Media

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... The Planets Op. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... The Planets Op. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... The Planets Op. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... The Planets Op. ...

Selected works

For a full list, see List of compositions by Gustav Holst.

The following are some of the compositions by Gustav Holst: ^[6] The following is a selected list of the compositions by Gustav Holst: [1] Overture: Walt Whitman (1899)[2] The Mystic Trumpeter, Scena for Soprano and Orchestra (1904, revised 1912) Op. ...

• First Suite in Eb for Military Band (1909)
  1. Chaconne
  2. Intermezzo
  3. March
• Second Suite in F for Military Band (1911)
  1. March: Morris Dance, Swansea Town, Claudy Banks
  2. Song Without Words "I Love my Love"
  3. Song of the Blacksmith
  4. Fantasia on the "Dargason"
• St Paul's Suite^[4] Op.29 No.2 (Finale is another arrangement of 4th movement in Second Suite) (1913)^[2]
  1. Jig
  2. Ostinato
  3. Intermezzo
  4. Finale (The Dargason)
• The Planets Suite Op. 32 (1916)^[2]
  1. Mars, the Bringer of War
  2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
  3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
  4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (main theme:"I Vow to Thee, My Country")
  5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
  6. Uranus, the Magician
  7. Neptune, the Mystic
• Brook Green Suite
  1. Prelude
  2. Air
  3. Dance

The First Suite in Eâ™­ for Military Band (Op. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Second Suite in F for Military Band (Op. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Gustav Holst Introduction (Op. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Planets Op. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... I Vow to Thee, My Country is an English patriotic song and Anglican hymn. ... Gustav Holsts Brook Green Suite was written in 1933 for St Pauls Girls School junior orchestra. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Britannica Concise, "Gustav Holst", 2006, Concise.Britannica.com webpage: ConcBritannica-GHolst.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Encyclopædia Britannica Online, "Gustav Holst", 2006, Britannica.com webpage: Britannica-GHolst.
3. ^ ^{a b} HighBeam Encyclopedia, "Gustav Holst", 2006, Encyclopedia.com webpage: EncyclopediaCom-GHolst.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} The school does not use a dotted "St." in their title "St Paul's Girls' School" (see St Paul's website: SPGS.org).
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "Gustavus Theodore Holst" (biography), Classical Net, 2006, webpage: ClassicalNet-GHolst.
6. ^ "Gustav Holst (1874-1934) | Compositions" (online), Kenric Taylor, 2006, GustavHolst.info webpage: GHolstInfo-Compositions.

References

• Britannica Concise, "Gustav Holst", 2006, Concise.Britannica.com webpage: ConciseBritannica-GHolst.
• ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online, "Gustav Holst", 2006, Britannica.com webpage: Britannica2006-GHolst.

• Kenric Taylor, "Gustav Holst (1874-1934) | Compositions" (list of works), 2006, GustavHolst.info webpage: GHolstInfo-Compositions.

External links

• www.GustavHolst.info
• Ian Lace's Biography
• List of compositions
• Easybyte - free easy piano arrangement of Thaxted / Jupiter theme from the Planets
• Planeten antikisch German lyrics by Siegfried Carl based upon Gustav Holst op. 32
• The Planets Suite Op. 32 Live recording by Peabody Concert Orchestra (2002)
• Free scores by Gustav Holst in the International Music Score Library Project (Public domain)