Gustav Holst found music in surprising places. In her biography of her famous father, his daughter Imogen quotes him as saying, “As a rule, I only study things that suggest music to me. That’s why I worried at Sanskrit. Then recently the character of each planet suggested lots to me, and I have been studying astrology fairly closely.” Begun in 1914 and completed in 1917, The Planets is thought to be the product of Holst’s fascination with astrology. Exactly how this passion began is not clear. His mother was a Theosophist and is often described as one source of his ideas, but perhaps most influential was the noted astrologer Alan Leo. In his book The Art of Synthesis, Leo devotes a chapter to each planet and the characteristics of people born during its “ruling time of the year,” and scholars point to a clear relationship between Leo’s descriptions and Holst’s work. Holst’s movement titles closely resemble Leo’s chapter headings—and in a few cases, such as “Neptune, the Mystic,” they are identical. (Some scholars connect “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” to Leo’s How to Judge a Nativity, although the ubiquity of this imagery makes such a connection more tenuous.) The classical gods from which the planet’s names are derived also play a role in Holst’s characterization. Over the course of the work, Holst creates what he termed “a series of mood pictures,” using rich, colorful orchestration and evocative melodies to create a compelling portrait of these celestial orbs and their governing temperaments.  

Underscoring the connection to astrology, Holst arranges the seven planets in a pattern “symbolizing the unfolding experience of life from youth to old age” rather than the customary distance from the Sun. Given the proximity of WWI, the opening movement, “Mars, the Bringer of War,” almost seems to foretell what was about to erupt. Driving, martial, and rhythmic ostinato for timpani, harp, and col legno strings (a technique where the bow stick is used to make sound) coupled with expansive brass is a brilliant illustration of the Red Planet. The ensuing “Venus, The Bringer of Peace” contrasts strikingly with its lyrical, almost romantic melody. As the movement is more formally complex, it is tempting to conclude that Holst believed peace was ultimately more challenging. The instruments with which “Venus” ends serve as the dominant colors in “Mercury, The Winged Messenger,” which takes the form of a fleet, light-footed scherzo.

“Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” paints a humorous, benevolent portrait of the giant planet. While Holst’s melodies are original, the movement’s central theme sounds precisely like a preexisting folk tune. It was so popular that when Holst received a commission to set a patriotic song to music in the 1920s, he recycled the melody with the following text:  

I vow to my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love.
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test;
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best.  

The contrast between the triumphant end of “Jupiter” and the austere chill of the following movement is incredibly stark. In the multifaceted “Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age,” Holst captures the aging process and the variety of emotions it elicits. After a ponderous opening shot through with a sense of desolation, a theme in the trombones introduces the wisdom that old age brings.

Despite the orchestra’s inexorable march, calm acceptance takes over by the end of the piece. “Uranus, The Magician” revolves around a musical sleight of hand: the opening brass invocation is on the notes G, E flat, A, and B—using the German names of notes, it becomes clear that the theme is comprised of the musical letters in Holst’s name (GuStAv H).

The Planets concludes with “Neptune, the Mystic.” Holst’s biographer Michael Short suggests that as much as painting a musical portrait of mysticism, “Holst’s aim was to depict in music the mystery and wonder of outer space.” Holst interjects an ethereal, wordless woman’s chorus into a musical landscape devoid of rhythmic and tonal directionality, ultimately taking listeners to the heavens themselves.

—©Jennifer More, 2023