Holst's decision to omit Earth from his orchestral arrangement, The Planets, remains unexplained.
Gustav Holst's masterpiece, "The Planets," is a captivating musical journey through our solar system. Composed between 1914 and 1916, the suite has seven movements, each assigned a character and subtitle according to their astrological meaning.
The inspiration for this celestial symphony came during a holiday in Spain with Arnold Bax and Clifford Holst. Holst, known for his passionate devotion to music, emphasised that the music came first and foremost for him.
"The Planets" features seven movements, while there are eight planets in our solar system. Holst chose to exclude Earth, as it has no bearing on astrology or horoscopes. The absence of an eighth movement indicates that the suite was originally conceived and composed to reflect the seven classical planets known at the time.
Holst's characterizations in "The Planets" have more to do with ancient mythology than the zodiac. For instance, Neptune, the most distant planet discovered at the time Holst was writing the suite, was named "the Mystic" and ended the piece with a wordless, offstage women's chorus that fades to silence.
Two of the best-known movements are "Mars, the Bringer of War" and "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity." The latter lends its melody to the majestic anthem, "I Vow to Thee, My Country." However, the titles for Mercury and Neptune were possibly taken from a book by Alan Leo, who was nicknamed 'the father of modern astrology.'
Despite the popularity of "The Planets," Holst became somewhat irritated that it was overshadowing some of his other works. He showed little interest in expanding the suite to include Pluto, which was discovered in 1930, four years before his death.
Holst's fascination with astrology began after his return to England, and he started studying it closely. He was particularly intrigued by the attributes of the planets in his composition, many of which have more in common with their Roman deity counterparts than astrological meanings.
However, Holst's motivation for composing "The Planets" was not merely an academic interest in astrology. He became consumed with various topics that inspired his compositions, including Sanskrit and the stars. His music serves as a testament to his passion for exploring the mysteries of the universe.
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