Gustav Holst

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Biography

Born: 1874   Died: 1934   Country: England   Period: 20th Century
Known primarily for his popular orchestral composition, The Planets, Gustav Holst embraced a wide variety of musical models, from Arthur Sullivan, Edvard Grieg, and Wagner to the melodic simplicity of English folk music. In his maturity, he managed to merge these various influences into a rather sparse personal style that became increasingly transparent in his later years. Perhaps his greatest talent lay in the realm of choral music; his Hymn of Read more Jesus stands as one of the finest works in the genre from the early twentieth century.

Holst's first instruction came from his father, Adolph, a piano teacher, who also made him take lessons on the violin and trombone; the father believed that these studies might alleviate the youth's asthma.

By age 12, the young Holst was composing, even dabbling in orchestration; in 1888, he won a prize in an amateur competition for his vocal work, A Christmas Carol. Thereafter he sang in the All Saints' Church choir and played violin and trombone in its orchestra. In 1892, he traveled to London and heard a Covent Garden performance of Götterdämmerung, led by Mahler. The experience opened up new compositional vistas for the young composer.

Holst entered the Royal College of Music the following year where he met fellow student Ralph Vaughan Williams, who would remain a close lifelong friend. Shortly after his arrival in London, Holst found that the neuritis in his right arm, which had afflicted him in his early youth, had worsened and now caused him to abandon ideas of a career as a concert pianist. In 1898, Holst left the RCM to take a position in the Carl Rosa Opera Company as rehearsal pianist and coach. He completed his Cotswold Symphony in 1900, and its premiere in April 1902 was a success. On June 22, 1901, Holst married Emily Isobel Harrison, whom he had met in a choir he had directed a few years before.

In late 1903, Holst took on a teaching position at James Allen's Girls' School, in South London. The following year he acquired a second post, the directorship of music at St. Paul's Girls' School, which he would retain until his death. He added another teaching post at Morley College in 1907, bogging him down and leaving little time for composition. Still, the St. Paul's Suite, written during this period (1912-1913), is among his most often-performed works.

In 1914, Holst began work on what would become his most popular composition, The Planets. The war years were extremely productive, as the composer not only completed The Planets, but also wrote Hymn of Jesus. In spring 1918, Holst began educational work for the YMCA at its various facilities on European battlefields.

He returned to London at the end of June 1919 and took a prestigious post teaching theory and composition at the RCM in 1920. The composer's fame was not only growing domestically in the early 1920s but internationally as well, as works like the Hymn of Jesus were receiving regular and acclaimed performances. By 1924, Holst's health was clearly declining, and he thus lessened his workload.

Beginning in late December 1928, Holst made a series of trips abroad that included visits to France, Italy, Sicily, and the U.S. In Boston, a duodenal ulcer was diagnosed in 1932. On May 23, 1934, he underwent surgery for the ulcer, but died two days later. Read less

Featured Gustav Holst CDs & DVDs:

Holst, Handel, Bach / Fennell, Cleveland Symphonic Winds
Holst, Handel, Bach / Fennell, Cleveland Symphonic Winds
Release Date: 10/25/1990   Label: Telarc  
Catalog: 80038   Number of Discs: 1
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Holst: The Planets, Egdon Heath / Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra
Holst: The Planets, Egdon Heath / Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra
Release Date: 02/19/2002   Label: Apex  
Catalog: 89087   Number of Discs: 1
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Holst: Choral Symphony & Fantasia / Dawson, Et Al
Holst: Choral Symphony & Fantasia / Dawson, Et Al
Release Date: 03/12/2002   Label: Helios  
Catalog: 55104   Number of Discs: 1
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Britten: Choral Dances; Bliss, Holst / Wetton, Hill, Et Al
Britten: Choral Dances; Bliss, Holst / Wetton, Hill, Et Al
Release Date: 10/09/2001   Label: Helios  
Catalog: 55050   Number of Discs: 1
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Holst: Choral Music / Wetton, Holst Singers, Et Al
Holst: Choral Music / Wetton, Holst Singers, Et Al
Release Date: 03/09/2004   Label: Helios  
Catalog: 55170   Number of Discs: 1
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Work: The Perfect Fool

Browse 1-21 of 21 Available Recordings
  • 1.
    Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Ballet Music)
    Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Ballet Music)
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 7076 Release Date: 08/14/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  William Boughton
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
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  • 2.
    Holst: The Collector's Edition
    Holst: The Collector's Edition
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 40471 Release Date: 06/19/2012   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Jonathan Snowden,  David Theodore,  Ralph Downes,  Dame Janet Baker  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Adrian Boult,  André Previn,  Norman Del Mar,  Yehudi Menuhin  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Philharmonic Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Bournemouth Sinfonietta  ... 
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  • 3.
    Music From The Machine Age
    Music From The Machine Age
    Label: Onyx   Catalog: 4086 Release Date: 03/13/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Béla Bartók,  Gustav Holst,  Maurice Ravel,  Sergei Prokofiev  ... 
    Conductor:  Sascha Goetzel
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 4.
    British Composers - Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Holst
    British Composers - Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Holst
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 95433 Release Date: 05/03/2011   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Ralph Vaughan Williams,  Gerald Finzi,  Arnold Bax,  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  David Van Asch,  Nigel Perrin,  Robin Doveton,  John Eaton  ... 
    Conductor:  Nicholas Cleobury,  Sir David Willcocks,  Sir Adrian Boult,  Christopher Finzi  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  King's Singers,  Cambridge King's College Choir,  London Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
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  • 5.
    Holst: The Planets, Perfect Fool, Moorside Suite / Herrmann, Boult, Howard, Fennell
    Holst: The Planets, Perfect Fool, Moorside Suite / Herrmann, Boult, Howard, Fennell
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4802323 Release Date: 01/25/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Julia Bogorad,  Kathryn Greenbank
    Conductor:  Bernard Herrmann,  Sir Adrian Boult,  Christopher Hogwood,  Frederick Fennell  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Philharmonic Orchestra,  St. Paul Chamber Orchestra,  Eastman Wind Ensemble  ... 
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  • 6.
    Holst: The Planets; Egdon Heath; The Perfect Fool
    Holst: The Planets; Egdon Heath; The Perfect Fool
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 27898 Release Date: 08/10/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Dame Janet Baker,  Ian Partridge
    Conductor:  Norman Del Mar,  André Previn,  Sir Adrian Boult,  Eric Banks  ... 
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  • 7.
    A Festival Of Ballet
    A Festival Of Ballet
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 67063 Release Date: 01/26/2010   Number of Discs: 50
    Composer:  Richard Strauss,  Gustav Holst,  Sergei Prokofiev,  Modest Mussorgsky  ... 
    Performer:  Barbara Hendricks,  Susan Bickley,  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson,  Catherine Pierard  ... 
    Conductor:  Rudolf Kempe,  André Previn,  Paavo Järvi,  Sir Charles Mackerras  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dresden Staatskapelle,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
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  • 8.
    Within A Dream - A Celebration Of The Artistry Of Richard Hickox
    Within A Dream - A Celebration Of The Artistry Of Richard Hickox
    Label: Chandos   Catalog: 10568 Release Date: 10/27/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Frank Bridge,  Benjamin Britten,  Ralph Vaughan Williams,  Felix Mendelssohn  ... 
    Performer:  James Gilchrist,  Pamela Helen Stephen,  Roderick Williams,  Bruce Martin  ... 
    Conductor:  Richard Hickox
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  BBC National Orchestra of Wales,  City of London Sinfonia,  London Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 9.
    Holst: Ballet Music / Hickox, BBC NO of Wales
    Holst: Ballet Music / Hickox, BBC NO of Wales
    Label: Chandos   Catalog: 5069 Release Date: 01/27/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  Richard Hickox
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  BBC National Orchestra of Wales,  Joyful Company of Singers
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  • 10.
    Holst: Perfect Fool, Egdon Heath, St Paul's Suite, Etc
    Holst: Perfect Fool, Egdon Heath, St Paul's Suite, Etc
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 49784 Release Date: 04/29/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Ian Partridge,  Ralph Downes
    Conductor:  Sir Malcolm Sargent,  Steuart Bedford,  Imogen Holst,  André Previn  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  English Chamber Orchestra,  Purcell Singers  ... 
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  • 11.
    Holst: The Planets / Leaper
    Holst: The Planets / Leaper
    Label: Arte Nova   Catalog: 277850 Release Date: 08/09/2005   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  Adrian Leaper
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Grand Canary Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 12.
    The British Music Collection - Holst: Savitri, Hymns, Etc
    The British Music Collection - Holst: Savitri, Hymns, Etc
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 470191 Release Date: 03/09/2004   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Osian Ellis,  Kathryn Greenbank,  Julia Bogorad,  Susan Longfield  ... 
    Conductor:  Imogen Holst,  Christopher Hogwood,  Elgar Howarth,  Sir Adrian Boult
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Purcell Singers,  St. Paul Chamber Orchestra,  Grimethorpe Colliery Band  ... 
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  • 13.
    Britten: Sinfonia da Requeim, Sea Interludes; Holst: Perfect Fool, Egdon Heath / Previn
    Britten: Sinfonia da Requeim, Sea Interludes; Holst: Perfect Fool, Egdon Heath / Previn
    Label: Emi Great Recordings Of The Century   Catalog: 62616 Release Date: 10/07/2003   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst,  Benjamin Britten
    Conductor:  André Previn
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra
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  • 14.
    Holst: St. Paul's Suite, Fugal Concerto, Etc /Menuhin, Et Al
    Holst: St. Paul's Suite, Fugal Concerto, Etc /Menuhin, Et Al
    Label: Classics For Pleasure   Catalog: 75981 Release Date: 08/05/2003   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  Yehudi Menuhin,  Ian Humphris
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra,  Baccholian Singers of London,  Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
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  • 15.
    British Composers - Holst: The Planets, Etc / Boult, Et Al
    British Composers - Holst: The Planets, Etc / Boult, Et Al
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 66934 Release Date: 01/12/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  Sir Adrian Boult,  André Previn
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New Philharmonia Orchestra,  Ambrosian Ladies Chorus,  London Symphony Orchestra
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  • 16.
    Holst: The Planets, Etc; Orff: Carmina Burana / Mackerras
    Holst: The Planets, Etc; Orff: Carmina Burana / Mackerras
    Label: Virgin Classics   Catalog: 61510 Release Date: 10/20/1998   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Carl Orff,  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Janice Watson,  James Bowman,  Donald Maxwell
    Conductor:  David Hill,  Sir Charles Mackerras
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Waynflete Singers,  Bournemouth Chorus,  Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 17.
    Holst: Music For Two Pianos /Len Vorster, Robert Chamberlain
    Holst: Music For Two Pianos /Len Vorster, Robert Chamberlain
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8554369 Release Date: 07/28/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Performer:  Robert Chamberlain,  Len Vorster
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  • 18.
    Spirits Of Fire / Summit Brass
    Spirits Of Fire / Summit Brass
    Label: Summit Records   Catalog: 218 Release Date: 04/21/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Anthony Plog,  Henri Lazarof,  Samuel Barber,  Pablo Casals  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Summit Brass
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  • 19.
    Holst: The Planets / Mackerras, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
    Holst: The Planets / Mackerras, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
    Label: Virgin Classics Special Import   Catalog: 61257 Release Date: 11/14/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gustav Holst
    Conductor:  Sir Charles Mackerras
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra,  Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Women
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  • 20.
    The Spirit of England II / William Boughton, et al
    The Spirit of England II / William Boughton, et al
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 5450 Release Date: 10/03/1995   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Sir William Walton,  Lennox Berkeley,  Sir Edward Elgar,  Benjamin Britten  ... 
    Conductor:  William Boughton
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra,  English String Orchestra,  English Symphony Orchestra
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  • 21.
    A Tribute To Elgar, Delius & Holst / Black Dyke Mills Band
    A Tribute To Elgar, Delius & Holst / Black Dyke Mills Band
    Label: Chandos   Catalog: 4507 Release Date: 10/09/1992   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Sir Edward Elgar,  Gustav Holst,  Frederick Delius
    Conductor:  Major Peter Parkes
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Black Dyke Mills Band
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