There aren't many pieces of music that capture the imagination quite like The Planets.
Composed between 1914 and 1916, Gustav Holst’s seven-movement orchestral suite is a powerful fusion of music and mythology, astrology and orchestration. Each movement represents a different planet in our solar system (excluding Earth and Pluto, the latter of which had yet to be discovered), not in a scientific sense but as astrological archetypes. So, we have (deep breath) Mars, the Bringer of War; Venus, the Bringer of Peace; and Mercury, the Winged Messenger. Then come Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; Uranus, the Magician; and finally Neptune, the Mystic.
From the relentless, mechanized march of Mars to the ethereal, otherworldly fade of Neptune, Holst’s Planets is a landmark in 20th-century orchestral music. Its influence extends beyond the concert hall, inspiring movie scores, science fiction, and even popular music. Though Holst himself grew weary of its popularity, and even a bit restentful of all the attention it cannibalised from his other works, The Planets remains his most celebrated work—an orchestral masterpiece that continues to enthrall audiences over a century after its creation.
The Planets: a quick guide
'As a rule I only study things that suggest music to me,' Gustav Holst once said about his interest in astrology. That was true enough, but Holst's claim doesn't do justice to the depth of his interest in astrology. In fact, it was through those studies that Holst finally overcame his sense of failure as a composer.
By 1913 he had composed several works now recognised as among his most significant, including two major operas - the epic Sita (1899-1906) and the chamber opera Savitri (1908-09) - plus the pungent oriental suite Beni Mora (1912) and his ambitious choral work The Cloud Messenger (1913). Each of these, sadly, had either failed to reach performance, or had been given disastrous or indifferently received premieres.
Encouraged by the writer and fellow astrologer Clifford Bax (brother of the composer Arnold Bax), Holst decided to give expression to his interest in astrology, and soon acquired texts ranging from the English astrologer 'Raphael' (aka Robert Cross Smith, 1795-1832) to the contemporary Alan Leo.
It opened up new avenues
The Planets, composed between 1914 and 16, opened new avenues in Holst's treatment of tonality and structure. It did not represent an entirely new chapter in his creativity. Rather, it crystallised much of his thinking, both in terms of musical potential and in his understanding of the human condition.
Looking at The Planets through the context of what he had previously composed, and what came after, helps us to understand not only one of the most loved works in the modern orchestral repertoire, but also the extraordinary creative mind behind it. Join us now on this journey, as we visit each planet in turn, and recommend their finest recordings... then at the end, we'll recommend three brilliant recordings of the whole Planets suite.
Astronomy or astrology?
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Planets is that despite its grand, celestial theme, Holst was inspired not by astronomy, but by astrology. So, each movement represents the supposed influence of the planets on human personality rather than their physical characteristics. This mystical inspiration, combined with Holst’s innovative orchestration and bold harmonies, gives the suite its otherworldly and deeply evocative power.
The Planets, planet by planet
Mars, the Bringer of War
Mood: Relentless
A relentless, hammering rhythm and ominous brass fanfares create a sense of impending doom, evoking the brutality and chaos of war. The relentless march grows in intensity, leading to a thunderous and apocalyptic climax.
Fun fact: The relentless 5/4 rhythm of Mars creates an unsettling, mechanical march, which later influenced film scores like Star Wars and The Terminator.
Best recording: Philharmonia Orchestra/Simon Rattle EMI 575 8672
As 'The bringer of war', Mars needs to be brash, brutal and unsettling. Rattle and the Philharmonia, in their 1987 recording, deliver in spades.
Venus, the Bringer of Peace
Mood: Serene
Serene and radiant, this movement offers a soothing contrast to Mars, with shimmering strings and delicate woodwinds painting a picture of tranquility. The graceful melodies unfold slowly, as if drifting through a celestial dreamscape.
Best recording: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Mackerras Virgin 561 5102
Bringer of peace? Venus can appear as the bringer of blandness. Not in this 1990s recording, thanks to the RLPO’s characterful playing.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger
Mood: Nimble
Light and fleet-footed, this scherzo-like movement flits between different keys and tempos, embodying the quicksilver nature of the Roman messenger god. Its lively, playful energy is full of dazzling orchestration and shimmering textures.
Best recording: London Philharmonic Orchestra/Adrian Boult EMI 567 7482
You’d be surprised how many conductors plod through this most sprightly of the Planets. But Sir Adrian Boult’s ‘Winged Messenger’ from 1978 flits and darts with sparkle.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
Mood: Exuberant
A jubilant and expansive celebration, Jupiter bursts with energy, its lively dance rhythms and bold brass themes exuding confidence and joy. The famous central melody, noble and lyrical, carries an air of grandeur, later adapted into the hymn 'I Vow to Thee, My Country'.
Best recording: BBC Symphony Orchestra/Adrian Boult Beulah 2PD12
This 1945 classic recording was, one reviewer said at the time, the first to make The Planets shine. There’s drive, energy and bundles of fun. Don’t be put off by the sound quality.
Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
Mood: Sombre
Slow and solemn, Saturn begins with an air of inevitability, as steady chords and tolling bells evoke the passage of time. The movement builds to a powerful climax before fading into a sense of quiet resignation and wisdom.
Fun fact: Holst considered Saturn his favourite movement, with its slow, inexorable build toward a climax that feels like the tolling of time itself, symbolising both a dread and an acceptance of ageing.
Best recording: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/George Hurst Contour CN2020
An obscure Planets from 1974 comes up trumps – Hurst and his Bournemouth forces brilliantly guide us from the horrors of impending old age to a gladdening new wisdom.
Uranus, the Magician
Mood: Michievous
A bold, mischievous theme opens this movement, full of dramatic flourishes and sudden shifts in dynamics. The music brims with eccentric energy, culminating in a climactic organ glissando that vanishes like a magician’s final trick.
Fun fact: This movement was inspired by Paul Dukas's mighty and mischievous tone poem, The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Best recording: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley Alto ALC 1013
Crashes and bangs galore, as the spellbinding Handley terrifies and enchants in equal measure in this rumbustious version of Holst’s ‘Magician’ from 1993.
Neptune, the Mystic
Mood: Ethereal
Ethereal and otherworldly, Neptune drifts through shifting harmonies and eerie orchestral textures, creating an atmosphere of infinite mystery. The movement fades into silence as a distant wordless choir dissolves into the cosmos, leaving the music to disappear into the unknown.
Fun fact: That final fading into infinity, with a hidden offstage women’s choir singing an eerie, wordless melody, was one of classical music’s first true fade-outs - an effect that was quite revolutionary for its time.
Best recording: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Simon Rattle EMI 369 6902
Rattle captures Neptune’s magical pianissimo opening and, when it enters, the choir seems to float weightlessly – there’s a sense of gazing into the infinite universe. The band are not half bad, either: we named the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra one of the world's best orchestras.
And now for three amazing recordings of all of The Planets
There are some truly, er, stellar recordings of The Planets in the repertoire. Here are three that sit at the top of the pile:
1. Berlin Philharmonic / Simon Rattle EMI 369 6902
From our review: 'The often-pallid ‘Venus’ is surprisingly ripe and sensuous, ‘Mercury’s flight is well sustained, while ‘Saturn’ charts a slow but compelling journey through desolation to something like transcendence. The climax of ‘Uranus’ is a thriller: a massive build-up, with the famous organ glissando not spotlighted but spreading a great cloud of atmospherics in its wake.'
2. London Philharmonic Orchestra / Adrian Boult EMI 567 7482
Adrian Boult's classic LPO version from 1979 is now paired with an equally transcendent recording of Elgar's Enigma Variations, made with the London Symphony Orchestra eight years previously.
The striking LP cover of Adrian Boult and the LPO's 1979 Planets
3. London Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Davis
A triumphant recording from the late, great Sir Andrew Davis, always at his best in British orchestral music - and paired with a lovely rendition of Holst's haunting tone poem Egdon Heath.
This article first appeared in the June 2012 issue of BBC Music Magazine.