Gustav Holst – The Planets, Op. 32 Andre Previn/the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,: GREAT COMPOSITIONS/PERFORMANCES

Gustav Holst – The Planets, Op. 32

Conductor: Andrè Previn & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

“The Planets”, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. With the exception of Earth, which is not observed in astrological practice, all the planets are represented.
The idea of the work was suggested to Holst by Clifford Bax, who introduced him to astrology when the two were part of a small group of English artists holidaying in Majorca in the spring of 1913; Holst became quite a devotee of the subject, and liked to cast his friends’ horoscopes for fun.
The suite has seven movements, each named after a planet and its corresponding astrological character:
1. Mars, the Bringer of War (00:00 – 07:21)
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace (07:22 – 15:59);
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger (16:00 – 19:51);
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (19:52 – 27:49);
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (27:50 – 36:31);
6. Uranus, the Magician (36:32 – 42:14)
7. Neptune, the Mystic (42:15 – 49:01).

Gustav Holst, The Planets – III. Mercury, The Winged Messenger

The Planets, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Hickox