Gustav Holst: Visionary Composer of The Planets
English composer, arranger, and music teacher renowned for his orchestral suite The Planets.
Holst studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. He worked as a trombonist and music teacher, later becoming director of music at St Paul's Girls' School. His innovative compositions blended English folk traditions, Sanskrit influences, and modernism, achieving global fame with The Planets.
- Holst suffered lifelong health issues: asthma prevented wind instrument proficiency, and neuritis in his right hand hampered piano playing.
- Despite The Planets' success (1918 premiere), Holst disliked its overwhelming popularity overshadowing his other works like Egdon Heath and Choral Symphony.
- He nearly died from a duodenal ulcer hemorrhage in 1924. His 1934 death resulted from heart failure following stomach surgery complications.
- His daughter Imogen Holst became a prominent conductor and Benjamin Britten's collaborator, preserving her father's legacy.
