Gustav Holst Essentials

The reputation of British composer Gustav Holst rests heavily upon his massive symphonic work The Planets, which premiered in 1918, but there is much more to his work than this popular orchestral piece focused on astrology (not astronomy, even though its movements are named after planets). He escaped the shadow of Wagner in the 1910s, developing an interest in mysticism and a devotion to folklore from his homeland and Asia. His concise 1927 piece “Egdon Heath” was inspired by walks through Sussex with writer Thomas Hardy, who set his works there, while The Choral Symphony gave the poetry of John Keats extravagant interpretation.