Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
We often think of composers as solitary geniuses, scribbling away at their masterpieces, working alone. But this isn’t always the case. Gustav Holst, most famous for composing The Planets, struggled all his life with neuritis, a condition that made his arms feel like “jelly overcharged with electricity.” It was frequently impossible for him to play or even write, so, to bring his vision of our solar system to life, he needed help. This week, Donald Macleod charts Holst’s interplanetary expedition and discovers the unsung heroes who placed him amongst the stars.
Music Featured:
The Planets, Op 32
Toccata, H 153
Symphony in F Major, Op 8, H 47 “The Cotswolds” (2nd mvt, Elegy, Molto adagio & 3rd mvt, Scherzo, Presto - Allegretto)
Sita, Op 23, H 89 (Interlude)
The Mystic Trumpeter, Op 18
Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op 26 (3rd Group, H99)
The Hymn of Jesus, Op37 / H 140 (Hymn II, Hymn III, Hymn IV)
5 Partsongs, Op 12, H 61
St Paul’s Suite, Op 29, No 2
Ballet music from 'The Perfect Fool' H150 (Op 39)
Sāvitri, Op 25 (I - VI)
Ode to Death, Op 38, H 144
Suite No 2 for Military Band in F major, Op 28 No 2, H106
Choral Symphony, Op 41 (2nd mvt, Song and Bacchanal)
Scherzo for Orchestra, H192
Hammersmith - Prelude and Scherzo, H178, Op 52
Egdon Heath Op 47 (1st mvt, Adagio - Poco Allegro - Andante maestoso)
Brook Green Suite
The Planets, Op 32 (Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity) arr. for two pianos
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Gustav Holst (1874-1934) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022sj0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 3
2
225225 ratings
We often think of composers as solitary geniuses, scribbling away at their masterpieces, working alone. But this isn’t always the case. Gustav Holst, most famous for composing The Planets, struggled all his life with neuritis, a condition that made his arms feel like “jelly overcharged with electricity.” It was frequently impossible for him to play or even write, so, to bring his vision of our solar system to life, he needed help. This week, Donald Macleod charts Holst’s interplanetary expedition and discovers the unsung heroes who placed him amongst the stars.
Music Featured:
The Planets, Op 32
Toccata, H 153
Symphony in F Major, Op 8, H 47 “The Cotswolds” (2nd mvt, Elegy, Molto adagio & 3rd mvt, Scherzo, Presto - Allegretto)
Sita, Op 23, H 89 (Interlude)
The Mystic Trumpeter, Op 18
Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op 26 (3rd Group, H99)
The Hymn of Jesus, Op37 / H 140 (Hymn II, Hymn III, Hymn IV)
5 Partsongs, Op 12, H 61
St Paul’s Suite, Op 29, No 2
Ballet music from 'The Perfect Fool' H150 (Op 39)
Sāvitri, Op 25 (I - VI)
Ode to Death, Op 38, H 144
Suite No 2 for Military Band in F major, Op 28 No 2, H106
Choral Symphony, Op 41 (2nd mvt, Song and Bacchanal)
Scherzo for Orchestra, H192
Hammersmith - Prelude and Scherzo, H178, Op 52
Egdon Heath Op 47 (1st mvt, Adagio - Poco Allegro - Andante maestoso)
Brook Green Suite
The Planets, Op 32 (Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity) arr. for two pianos
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales & West
For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Gustav Holst (1874-1934) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022sj0
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
More shows like Composer of the Week
View all
In Our Time
5,389 Listeners
From Our Own Correspondent
381 Listeners
The Documentary Podcast
1,842 Listeners
Start the Week
162 Listeners
Global News Podcast
7,909 Listeners
Thinking Allowed
308 Listeners
Great Lives
501 Listeners
6 Minute English
1,782 Listeners
Learning English Conversations
1,050 Listeners
More or Less: Behind the Stats
899 Listeners
Witness History
963 Listeners
The Infinite Monkey Cage
1,925 Listeners
Newshour
1,081 Listeners
Last Word
45 Listeners
The Life Scientific
248 Listeners
Private Passions
39 Listeners
Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast
292 Listeners
Americast
742 Listeners
You're Dead to Me
2,979 Listeners
This Cultural Life
104 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics
3,287 Listeners
The News Agents
983 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics: Leading
989 Listeners