Read on for our guide to The Planets, the remarkable orchestral suite composed by Gustav Holst during World War One. We will look briefly at the work itself and its creation, and then recommend a stellar recording of each individual Planet.
Holst The Planets: a quick guide
When Gustav Holst combined his brilliant creative musical mind with his keen interest in astrology, the result would become one of the best loved orchestral works of all time.
'As a rule I only study things that suggest music to me,' Gustav Holst once said about his interest in astrology. That was true enough, but Holst's claim does less than justice to the depth in which he studied the subject - in fact, it was through those studies that Holst finally overcame his sense of failure as a composer.
By 1913 he had composed several works now recognised as among his most significant, including two major operas - the epic Sita (1899-1906) and the chamber opera Savitri (1908-09) - the oriental suite Beni Mora (1912) and his ambitious choral work The Cloud Messenger (1913), yet all of these had either failed to reach performance, or had been given disastrous or indifferently received premieres.
Encouraged by the writer and fellow astrologer Clifford Bax (brother of composer Arnold Bax), Holst soon acquired texts ranging from the English astrologer Raphael (1795-1832) to the contemporary Alan Leo.
Although The Planets, composed 1914-16, opened new avenues in Holst's treatment of tonality and structure, it did not represent an entirely new chapter in his creativity. Rather, it crystallised much of his thinking, both in terms of musical potential and in his understanding of the human condition.
Looking at The Planets through the context of what he had previously composed, and what came after, helps us to understand not only one of the most loved works in the modern orchestral repertoire, but also the extraordinary creative mind behind it. Join us now on this journey, as we visit each planet in turn, and recommend their finest recordings...
Best recording of each of The Planets by Holst
Mars
Philharmonia Orchestra/Simon Rattle EMI 575 8672
As 'The bringer of war', Mars needs to be brash, brutal and unsettling. Rattle and the Philharmonia, in their 1987 recording, deliver in spades.
You can buy this as a separate recording of Mars from Amazon or as part of Philharmonia Orchestra's whole recording of Holst's, The Planets
Venus
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Mackerras Virgin 561 5102
Bringer of peace? Venus can appear as the bringer of blandness. Not in this 1990s recording, thanks to the RLPO’s characterful playing.
You can buy this recording of Holst's Venus from Amazon
Mercury
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Adrian Boult EMI 567 7482
You’d be surprised how many conductors plod through this most sprightly of the Planets. But Sir Adrian Boult’s ‘Winged Messenger’ from 1978 flits and darts with sparkle.
You can buy this recording of Holst's Mercury from Amazon
Jupiter
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Adrian Boult Beulah 2PD12
This 1945 classic recording was, one reviewer said at the time, the first to make The Planets shine. There’s drive, energy and bundles of fun. Don’t be put off by the sound quality.
You can buy this as a recording of Holst's Jupiter from Amazon
Best recording of each of The Planets by Holst: Saturn and beyond
Saturn
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/George Hurst Contour CN2020
An obscure Planets from 1974 comes up trumps – Hurst and his Bournemouth forces brilliantly guide us from the horrors of impending old age to a gladdening new wisdom.
You can buy this recording of Holst's Saturn from Amazon
Uranus
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Hadley Alto ALC 1013
Crashes and bangs galore, as the spellbinding Handley terrifies and enchants in equal measure in this rumbustious version of Holst’s ‘Magician’ from 1993.
You can buy this recording of Uranus from Amazon
Neptune
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Simon Rattle EMI 369 6902
Rattle captures Neptune’s magical pianissimo opening and, when it enters, the choir seems to float weightlessly – there’s a sense of gazing into the infinite universe. We named the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra one of the world's best orchestras
You can buy this recording of Holst's Neptune from Amazon
Holst The Planets: best recordings
There are some truly, er, stellar recordings of The Planets in the repertoire. Here are three that sit at the top of the pile for us:
Berlin Philharmonic / Simon Rattle EMI 369 6902
From our review: 'The often-pallid ‘Venus’ is surprisingly ripe and sensuous, ‘Mercury’s flight is well sustained, while ‘Saturn’ charts a slow but compelling journey through desolation to something like transcendence. The climax of ‘Uranus’ is a thriller: a massive build-up, with the famous organ glissando not spotlighted but spreading a great cloud of atmospherics in its wake.'
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Adrian Boult EMI 567 7482
Adrian Boult's classic LPO version from 1979 is now paired with an equally transcendent recording of Elgar's Enigma Variations, made with the London Symphony Orchestra eight years previously.
The striking LP cover of Adrian Boult and the LPO's 1979 Planets
From our review: 'What a bargain this is - nearly 80 minutes of very good quality sound serving two classic performances from the Seventies. Boult makes all The Planets shine, from a truly threatening 'Mars' to the hushed mysticism of 'Neptune'. His reading of Enigma shows his deep understanding and affinity for the work pointing up so many little felicities that bring these characters to life and all the emotional power of Nimrod and the Finale.
London Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Davis
A triumphant recording from the late, great Sir Andrew Davis, always at his best in British orchestral music - and paired with a lovely rendition of Holst's haunting tone poem Egdon Heath.
From our review: 'Andrew Davis’s new recording approaches the best. His ‘Mars’ is a growling war machine with a menacing tread towards a tremendous climactic chord overlooking the most horrific abyss. ‘Venus’ shimmers in cool ethereal beauty; the well-known central ‘Jupiter’ tune has great nobility here and ‘Uranus’ is a magician really to be reckoned with.
'The BBC Symphony Orchestra plays enthusiastically and is sharply incisive. The sound is truly spectacular. The delivery and sound staging of the women’s chorus is excellent.'
Listen to our ultimate Planets playlist here:
Read our reviews of the latest Holst recordings here
This article first appeared in the June 2012 issue of BBC Music Magazine.