Holst, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Walter Susskind – The Planets

Holst – The Planets

“Gustav Holst” – The Planets, Op. 32 is one of the most famous works in the British orchestral repertoire, performed here by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under Walter Susskind. Composed between 1914 and 1916, the seven-movement orchestral suite is an extraordinary combination of powerful rhythms, vivid orchestration and atmospheric colour, with each movement portraying the astrological character traditionally associated with a planet.

Holst began composing The Planets in 1914, initially completing “Mars, The Bringer Of War” shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. The remaining movements followed over the next two years, with the complete suite eventually receiving its first public performance at the Queen's Hall in London in 1920. The work quickly established itself as one of Holst's most important compositions.

The suite opens with the relentless, ominous rhythms of “Mars, The Bringer Of War”, followed by the tranquil and lyrical “Venus, The Bringer Of Peace”. “Mercury, The Winged Messenger” provides a fleet, scherzo-like movement before the triumphant grandeur of “Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity”. The darker “Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age” is followed by the eccentric, swirling “Uranus, The Magician”, while the final movement, “Neptune, The Mystic”, creates an extraordinarily mysterious conclusion through its distant orchestral textures and wordless women's chorus.

Unlike a conventional symphony, The Planets is structured around the astrological associations of the planets rather than a continuous narrative. Holst's innovative orchestration and use of contrasting musical characters helped make the work enormously influential, and its dramatic sound continues to appeal to listeners discovering Gustav Holst, British classical music, orchestral repertoire and 20th-century modernism.

This recording by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Walter Susskind presents all seven movements of Holst's masterpiece, from the unmistakable power of “Mars” through to the ethereal conclusion of “Neptune”. An excellent addition to any classical CD collection.

Tracklist

The Planets, Op. 32

1. Mars, The Bringer Of War
2. Venus, The Bringer Of Peace
3. Mercury, The Winged Messenger
4. Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity
5. Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age
6. Uranus, The Magician
7. Neptune, The Mystic