Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst

Photo: Herbert Lambert

Beginning to teach in 1905, Holst became musical director of the St. Paul's Girls' School [Wikipedia] in 1905, a position he would keep until his death. In 1907 he became musical director at Morley College [Wikipedia] where he remained until 1924. Holst wrote his own libretto for his chamber opera, 'Savitri' Op 25, in 1909, that premiering on 5 December 1916 at Wellington Hall of St. John's Wood in London. Savitri is the wife of the woodman, Satyavan, whom Death threatens. But Death is Maya, that is, unreal.

'Savitri'   Op 25   H 96   Chamber opera by Gustav Holst

Comp 1908-09   Premiere 5 Dec 1912 in London   Pub 1923

Libretto: Holst

English Chamber Orchestra / Imogen Holst

IMSLP    Libretto    Wikipedia

As the romantic readily shifts toward the exotic, Holst conducted his 'Beni Mora' Oriental Suite in E minor Op 29 No.1 on 1 May 1912, inspired by a trip to Algeria in 1908. Its last of three movements is widely cited in its resemblance to much later Minimalist composing in its repetition of a four-bar theme.

'Beni Mora'   Op 29 No.1   H 107   E minor   Oriental suite by Gustav Holst

Comp 1909-10   Premiere 1 May 1912 at Queen's Hall in London w Holst conducting   Pub 1921

Royal Scottish National Orchestra / David Lloyd-Jones

IMSLP   Wikipedia

Holst was rejected from military service during World War I, during which time another setting to Whitman arrived in a 'Dirge for Two Veterans' H 121 in 1914:

'Dirge for Two Veterans'   H 121   E minor   Lamentation by Gustav Holst

Comp 1914   Pub 1914 in London

Joyful Company of Singers w the City of London Sinfonia / Richard Hickox

IMSLP   Rutgers  Text

In 1918 Holst worked in Greece as a musical organizer for the YMCA. His return to the UK saw to the public premiere of the work that would make him internationally famous, 'The Planets' Op 32, at Queen's Hall in London on 29 September 1918. Composed in 1914-16, though 'Mars' ('Bringer of War') No.1 and 'Jupiter' ('Bringer of Jollity') No.4 may receive the most performing overall, Holst's own favorite movement of the seven was 'Saturn' ('Bringer of Old Age') No.5. Neither Earth nor Pluto are included in Holst's depiction of the planets.

'Saturn' ('Bringer of Old Age')   Op 32 No.5   H 125   Adagio   Gustav Holst

From the suite for large orchestra 'The Planets'

Comp 1914-16   Premiere 29 Sep 1918 at Queen's Hall in London

Pub 1921   Dedicated to Imogen Holst (daughter)

BBC Symphony Orchestra / Susanna Mälkki

BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall in London   27 July 2015

Meredith Gailey   IMSLP   Honey Meconi   The Planets   Kenric Taylor   Wikipedia

Now a huge celebrity, Holst premiered 'The Hymn of Jesus' at Queen's Hall on 25 March 1920 with libretto translated by himself from the Gnostic text, 'Acts of John'.

'The Hymn of Jesus'   Op 37   H 140   C major   Sacred hymn by Gustav Holst

Comp 1917   Premiere 25 March 1920 at Queen's Hall in London w Holst conducting   Pub 1919

Text from the apocryphal 'Acts of John' as translated by Holst

BBC Symphony Orchestra / Adrian Boult

Gnostic Society Library   Raymond Head   IMSLP   Patheos   Wikipedia

On 27 October 1922 Holst recorded the first of numerous tracks for Columbia conducting the London Symphony Orchestra [Wikipedia], that being 'Jupiter' released on Columbia L 1459 in Feb of 1923. His first recordings of 'The Planets' were the noisy acoustic made 1922-1925. The arrival of electronic recording in 1925 meant the rerecording of 'The Planets' in 1926 toward issue that December.

'The Planets'   Op 32   H 125   Acoustic recordings by Gustav Holst

Recorded 1922/1923 at Petty France Studios in London

Matrices   Wikipedia

Holst wrote the libretto to his opera, 'The Perfect Fool' H 150 Op 39, that premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre in London on 14 May 1923, though after 'The Planets' his career entered into its decline. In this unpopular comic opera the Fool is a peasant farmer for whom a singular "No" is eventually his entire portion of the libretto. This Fool ends up a Prince with zero effort despite others who vie for the hand of the Princess, but have not the required love potion which has come into the possession of the Fool's mother. Considerably more popular than the opera is its introductory ballet music formed into a suite.

'The Perfect Fool Ballet Suite'   Op 39   H 150   Comic opera in one act by Gustav Holst

Comp 1918-1922   Premiere 14 May 1923

1. 'Invocation'

2. 'Dance of Spirits of Earth'

3. 'Dance of Spirits of Water'

4. 'Dance of Spirits of Fire'

Enigma Brass Ensemble   Arrangement:

George Colrick   IMSLP   Wikipedia

In 1927 Holst composed his homage to Hardy (above) titled 'Egdon Heath'. Egdon Heath is a fictional location in the writings of Hardy. That confronted poor reception as well, though Holst himself regarded it to be his best composition.

'Egdon Heath'   Op 47   H 172   Adagio   Tone poem by Gustav Holst

Comp 1927   Pub 1928

Dedicated to the New York Symphony Orchestra until Hardy's acceptance in Aug 1927

London Philharmonic Orchestra / Adrian Boult

IMSLP   Wikipedia

Holst lectured at Harvard in 1932 until illness forced him back to England. His last Opus was assigned to 'Six Choruses' H 186 Op 53 of 1931-32. That took the place of his original Op 53 that was 'On the Battle Which Was Fought at Fontenoy', then was left WoO until cataloged as H 186a. Among Hoslt's last works was the 'Brook Green Suite' H 172 Op 47 of 1933. Brook Green is where Holst married his wife, Isobel, in 1901. This suite was composed while in the hospital for an ulcer the year prior to his death, written for St. Paul's Girls' School in Brook Green, and kept simple for unaccomplished musicians.

'Brook Green Suite'   H 190   C major   Gustav Holst

Comp 1933   Pub 1934

1. Prelude

2. Air

3. Dance

New York Classical Players / Dongmin Kim

Korean Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville VA   1 April 2014

IMSLP   Wikipedia

Holst's final composition was 'Lyric Movement' H 191 in 1933, a work for viola and orchestra dedicated to the violist, Lionel Tertis. Holst died soon after on 24 May 1934 of heart failure.

'Lyric Movement'   H 191   D minor   Gustav Holst

Comp 1933   Premiere 18 March 1934 in London w Adrian Boult conducting

Dedicated to violist Lionel Tertis

English Sinfonia / Howard Griffiths   Viola: Andriy Viytovych

Lewis Foreman   IMSLP   Joseph Stevenson

Sources & References for Gustav Holst:

Bruce Eder (All Music)

VF History (notes)

Aryeh Oron (Bach Cantatas)