Gustav Holst
Presentation by: Olivia Omer
Music 1010
Gustav Theodore von Holst
Born: September 21, 1874
Died: May 25, 1934
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Family
• Father: Adolph von Holst
Piano virtuoso & teacher
• Mother (left): Clara von Holst
http://www.holstmuseum.org.uk/
Died after giving birth to Gustav
• Brother (right): Ernest Cossart
Hollywood actor
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Childhood
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http://www.holstmuseum.org.uk/
Known to be a weak child
Suffered from neuritis and asthma
Poor eyesight
Loved playing piano and disliked
playing violin
Education
• Attended the Royal College of Music in London
• Supervised under Charles Stanford
• Met friend and colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams
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Early Music Career & Married Life
• Joined the Hammersmith
Socialist Choir
• Met Isobel Harrison; married
in 1901
• Became music director at both
Morley College and St. Paul’s
Girls’ School
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Other Interests
• Attended socialist
movements’ lectures
• Became vegetarian
• Influenced by Hinduism and
Sanskrit
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– Attended University College
London to translate Sanskrit
texts into English
– These texts influenced his
music
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Later Achievements
• Conducted for the London
Symphony Orchestra
• Broadcasted his works on BBC
radio
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• Commissioned by BBC to write
for England’s military band
Last Years
• Health digressed
• Fell and suffered from a
concussion
• Unsuccessful stomach surgery
• Died: May 25, 1934
– Cremated in London
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Composition History
Studied and Worked at:
Royal College of Music, Hammersmith Socialist Choir
St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Morley College
& London Symphony Orchestra
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The Planets Op. 32
• Written between 1914-1916
• Contains seven movements
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“Mars, the Bringer of War”
“Venus, the Bringer of Peace”
“Mercury, the Winged Messenger”
“Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity”
“Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age”
“Uranus, the Magician”
“Neptune, the Mystic”
Major Influence of The Planets Op. 32
• Igor Stravinsky
– Russian composer
– Traveled to England and
shared his music
– Known for unsettling tones
and unconventional meters
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Listening Guide:
Selections from The Planets Op. 32
• First movement
– Mars, the Bringer of War (0:00-7:20)
• Second movement
– Venus, the Bringer of Peace (7:21-15:58)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83J68Y7Z1nk
I. Mars, the Bringer of War
(0:00-7:20)
Begins with violins – pizzicato
Unsettling tone and rhythm; minor
Volume grows louder
Timpani enters, establishing a more solid
beat
• Brass section takes melody from strings
• Tone becomes unmistakingly powerful
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• Melody is taken over by cellos, then trumpets
• The distressful tone from beginning continues
• Strings then carry melody, accompanied by
strong brass section
• Finally, volume decreases
• Ascending scales from strings
• Orchestra holds final note – strong and angrily
• Chilling and abrupt end
II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
(7:21-15:58)
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Begins with soft brass solo
Tempo is slow and consistent
Flutes provide harmony
Harps enters; peaceful tone
Brass enters, completing a rounded sound
Strings enter with ascending notes
Violin solo; pleasant; accompanied by flutes
Full instrumentalization; fuller sound
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Brief solo by cello
Harp and flutes carry the gentle melody
Oboe solo and strings intensify
Tone and feeling is breathy, slow, pleasant
Strings continue to carry melody
Flutes fade out
Rhythm becomes twice as slow until softly
fading away entirely
fine
Bibliography
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Lace, I. (2007, January 1). A Biography of Gustav Holst. . Retrieved June 27, 2014, from
– http://www.gustavholst.info/biography
– http://www.gustavholst.info/compositions
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Merriam-Webster (2014). Neuritis.
– http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuritis
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Classic Cat (2014). Gustav von Holst. Retrieved from
– http://www.classiccat.net/holst_g_von/biography.php
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The Famous People Website (2014). Gustavus Theodore Von Holst. Retrieved June 28, 2014
– http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/gustavus-theodore-von-holst-379.php
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YouTube, LLC (2014). G. Holst - The planets Op. 32 - Berliner Philharmoniker - H. von Karajan.
Uploaded by YouTube user doramas67.
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83J68Y7Z1nk
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