Uploaded August 2009 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The Planets! Merely the mention of the name Gustav Holst brings to mind one work in most people's minds; 'The Planets'. And, indeed, 'The Planets' is a marvel.
However, Holst composed over 200 pieces of beautiful music including Operas, Ballets (this Suite came from Holst's Opera of the same name), Songs, Songs without Words, Choral Works, Symphonies, Chamber Pieces, Choral Hymns...
The Perfect Fool, originally written by Holst as an opera for which Holst also wrote the libretto after his friend, playwright, journalist, poet and lyricist, Clifford Bax, brother of composer Arnold Bax, refused to write it. The opera was poorly received by the public and was quickly forgotten.
But here, in Holst's reduction of the Opera to a Ballet Suite, Holst took the best of the operatic score and created a beautiful work for Orchestra.
All four pieces are rich and full of texture yet minimal enough at just the right times to make the piece come alive for the listener. The story is that of a Wizard who, (in the 1st movement) invokes with trombone, the Spirits of Earth (heard dancing in the 2nd movement); invokes with Viola, the Spirits of Water (heard dancing in the 3rd movement), and, with a climactic unity of the orchestra, the Spirits of Fire (crackling and burning in the 4th movement).
Here are the third and fourth movements, 'Dance of Spirits of Water' (an Allegro) and 'Dance of Spirits of Fire' (an Allegro moderato - Andante), respectively, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with the great Andre Previn at the helm.
Enjoy!
The Planets! Merely the mention of the name Gustav Holst brings to mind one work in most people's minds; 'The Planets'. And, indeed, 'The Planets' is a marvel.
However, Holst composed over 200 pieces of beautiful music including Operas, Ballets (this Suite came from Holst's Opera of the same name), Songs, Songs without Words, Choral Works, Symphonies, Chamber Pieces, Choral Hymns...
The Perfect Fool, originally written by Holst as an opera for which Holst also wrote the libretto after his friend, playwright, journalist, poet and lyricist, Clifford Bax, brother of composer Arnold Bax, refused to write it. The opera was poorly received by the public and was quickly forgotten.
But here, in Holst's reduction of the Opera to a Ballet Suite, Holst took the best of the operatic score and created a beautiful work for Orchestra.
All four pieces are rich and full of texture yet minimal enough at just the right times to make the piece come alive for the listener. The story is that of a Wizard who, (in the 1st movement) invokes with trombone, the Spirits of Earth (heard dancing in the 2nd movement); invokes with Viola, the Spirits of Water (heard dancing in the 3rd movement), and, with a climactic unity of the orchestra, the Spirits of Fire (crackling and burning in the 4th movement).
Here are the third and fourth movements, 'Dance of Spirits of Water' (an Allegro) and 'Dance of Spirits of Fire' (an Allegro moderato - Andante), respectively, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with the great Andre Previn at the helm.
Enjoy!
