Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Featuring

Sir Andrew Davis
BBC Philharmonic
Manchester Chamber Choir
Gustav Holst

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Composer Biography

Gustav Holst, the composer, moved away from Wagner-influenced works in his late twenties and early thirties, absorbing English folk music and studying Sanskrit literature.

Compositional Technique

Holst's The Planets is subtitled 'Suite for Large Orchestra' and is not conventionally symphonic, fitting a pattern of works constructed from individual movements of three to eight minutes.

Composition History

The Japanese Suite was composed in 1915 at the request of Japanese dancer Michio Ito, who whistled most of the themes to Holst.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Holst's interest in astrology, which influenced The Planets, was connected to his study of Hinduism and was a more direct way to approach the planets given the limited astronomical knowledge of his time.

Performer Biography

Sir Andrew Davis, the conductor, is the Conductor Laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the former Music Director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.