Holst The Planets [Paperback]

The first comprehensive guide to Holst's orchestral suite considers the music in detail and places the work in its historical context.Starting with Holst's particular interest in astronomy, the first comprehensive guide to his orchestral suite considers the music in detail. It places the work in its historical context, and describes the circumstances of its composition and meteoric rise to popular acclaim.Starting with Holst's particular interest in astronomy, the first comprehensive guide to his orchestral suite considers the music in detail. It places the work in its historical context, and describes the circumstances of its composition and meteoric rise to popular acclaim.This book is the first comprehensive guide to Holst's orchestral suite The Planets. It considers the music in detail and places the work in its historical context, describing the circumstances of its composition and its meteoric rise to popular acclaim. Starting with Holst's particular interest in astrology, Greene reveals a profound statement of human character and Holst's own psychological journey toward the mystical state. Using parallels in the verbal and visual arts, Greene weaves here a fascinating tale of musical communication.Acknowledgements; Introduction: musical character and a theory of musical rhetoric; 1. Holst and the two Londons; 2. Genesis; 3. Reception; 4. The character plots (1): Mars to Mercury; 5. The character plots (2): Jupiter to Neptune; 6. On becoming The Planets: the overall design; Epilogue; Appendices; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.