G u s tav H o ls t
Name________________________________________________________Date_____________________________________
Biography
English composer Gustav Holst (1874–1934) was encouraged by his father to study piano and
violin from an early age. Unfortunately, a nerve disorder in his right arm made it painful for him
to play these instruments, but he soon discovered that the trombone was an instrument he could
enjoy playing. Admitted to the Royal College of Music in London, Holst studied composition
and trombone and by age 30 had secured a post as head of music at St Paul’s Girls’ School in
Hammersmith, England. He lived out his days at the school, teaching music and composing in the
peaceful quiet of the soundproof booth at the school. Holst studied Hindu philosophy and
traveled widely, and his music reflects an interest in cultures of the world. When he died of
heart failure in 1934, Holst had a worldwide reputation as a composer and conductor.
Style
Holst’s musical style was original and constantly developing through his lifetime. With his university friend Ralph Vaughn
Williams, Holst revived English folk songs through choral music, composing the carol In the Bleak Midwinter to a poem by
Christina Rossetti. In the 1910s, his encounters with Igor Stravinsky’s and Arnold Schoenberg’s experiments with tonality
and chromaticism inspired his most famous work, The Planets. This seven-movement work for orchestra uniquely captures
the personality of each planet, with “Mars,” “Mercury,” and “Neptune” featuring a haunting, dissonant bitonality. Holst’s
compositions for band and brass ensemble are also well known. His commissioned work for military band titled Hammersmith
attempts to imitate the sound of the River Thames flowing through the town where he spent most of his days.
Apply Your Knowledge!
Terms
Write your answers on the back or on a separate
sheet of paper.
chromaticism – the use of all 12 tones of an octave in a
composition
bitonality – two key signatures are performed at the
same time
1) What instrument did Holst prefer over the violin and
piano, and why?
2) Name two composers who influenced Holst.
3) What is bitonality, and in what work did Holst famously
employ it?
4) How did Holst pay tribute to his hometown?
5) Listen to a recording of a work by Holst. What makes his
music unique?
Trivia
There are only seven planets included in The Planets because
Holst did not include Earth.
In 1923, Holst had a backward fall off of the conductor’s
podium, hitting his head and suffering a concussion. After
this, he focused mainly on composition.
Holst was an avid walker and cyclist. In 1908, he went on a
bike tour of Algeria and wrote an orchestral suite inspired
by the journey titled Beni Mora.
Perform a work by Holst on page 28 of Tradition of
Excellence, Book 1.
1895 First motion picture is
shown by the Lumière brothers
1874 Holst is born
1914 World War I begins
1913 Stravinsky’s
Rite of Spring causes
riots in Paris
1884 Eastman invents
photographic film
1870
1875
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1934 Holst dies
1920 US women
earn the right
to vote
1920
1925
1930
Worksheet written by Laurel Plapp, PhD, author and editor. © 2010 Kjos Music Press. This page authorized for duplication.