Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham, England, on September 21, 1874, and died in London, England, on May 25, 1934. The first performance of The Planets took place at Queen’s Hall in London on September 29, 1918, with Adrian Boult conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. The Planets is scored for hidden female chorus (final movement), four flutes (3^rd doubling 1^st piccolo, 4^th doubling alto flute and 2^nd piccolo), three oboes (3^rd doubling bass oboe), English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, four trumpets, two tenor trombones, bass trombone, tenor tuba, bass tuba, timpani (two players), glockenspiel, xylophone, tam-tam, chimes, snare drum, tambourine, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, gong, two harps, celesta, organ, and strings. Approximate performance time is fifty-one minutes.

Gustav Holst once observed: “As a rule I only study things that suggest music to me.” And it was Holst’s lifelong interest in astrology that provided the inspiration for his most popular orchestral work, The Planets. Holst characterized his orchestral work as “a series of mood pictures” in which the movements—each representing a planet of the solar system—“acted as foils to one another.” The various movements were not arranged in accordance with the order of the planets in the solar system, but rather, in such a manner as to achieve optimal musical contrast and effect.

Although Holst completed The Planets toward the close of 1916, the onset of the First World War precluded a concert performance of the work. In the summer of 1918, Holst prepared to depart England to aid the war effort. As a special farewell gift, Henry Balfour Gardiner arranged for a private concert premiere of The Planets at Queen’s Hall in London on September 29, 1918. Holst chose the young Adrian Boult—later Sir Adrian—to conduct the first performance, which proved to be a great success.

The first public performance of The Planets took place on February 27, 1919, again with Boult conducting at Queen’s Hall (although Venus and Neptune were not played on that occasion). The Planets soon received numerous performances in England, Europe, and throughout the world. Along with Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, The Planets, a thrilling sonic adventure, remains one of the most popular large-scale British orchestral works.

1. Mars, the Bringer of War. Allegro—While many believed that Holst created the opening movement as a memorial to the horrors of World War I, the composer insisted: “I had the whole of Mars fixed in my mind before” the August 4, 1914 Declaration. The movement begins softly, but ominously, with an incessant rhythm introduced by the timpani and col legno (“with the wood”; i.e., the string instruments play with the wood, rather than the horsehair portion of the bows) strings, and interjections by woodwind and brass. The music proceeds to a furious climax. Several brief episodes follow, all maintaining a relentless momentum to the shattering final bars.
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace. Adagio—Venus offers blissful contrast to the violent opening movement. The solo horn’s ascending phrase is answered by a descending woodwind figure. A solo violin introduces the central Andante episode. A varied reprise of the opening Adagio concludes Venus.
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger. Vivace—The third movement is a scherzo that exhibits a charm and grace reminiscent of Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A 6/8 figure is deftly transferred from instrument to instrument. A middle section features lovely solo appearances by the violin, oboe, flute, and celeste. The return of the opening section (with a nod to its predecessor) concludes Mercury.
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. Allegro giocoso—Jupiter is the movement that most clearly reflects Holst’s love of British folk music. It opens with a flurry of activity in the violins and a bold orchestral statement. Several melodies follow, the most notable being an eloquent theme, marked Andante maestoso (Moderately slow, majestic), introduced by the strings and horns. This melody was later used as the basis for a patriotic hymn, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” The bustle of the opening reappears for the jubilant finish.
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age. Adagio—The hypnotic opening features the flutes, bass flute, and harps. Over the repeated tread of pizzicato cellos and basses, the trombones introduce a somber march. The music builds to a powerful climax, featuring the repeated tolling of the bells. A reprise of the opening finally yields to a serene conclusion.
6. Uranus, the Magician. Allegro—The trumpets and trombones, followed by the tubas and timpani, intone a four-note motif that returns throughout the movement. The bassoons then offer a puckish staccato figure, soon taken by the remainder of the orchestra. A prominent recapitulation of the four-note motif leads to a martial passage. A ffff climax is followed by an eerie postlude.
7. Neptune, the Mystic. Andante—The composer directs that in the finale: “(t)he Orchestra is to play sempre pp throughout.” Various repeating figures, couched in orchestration of the utmost delicacy, masterfully evoke a sense of timelessness. A six-part wordless female chorus enters in the latter part of Neptune. The Planets concludes with the chorus repeating the final bar “until the sound is lost in the distance.”

Program notes by Ken Meltzer