Gustav Holst
English composer of The Planets and influential teacher.
Gustav Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger, and teacher. He is most famous for his orchestral suite *The Planets*, but he wrote many other pieces in various styles, none of which matched that work's popularity. His music was shaped by several key influences: early on, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss were crucial; later, the English folksong revival of the early 1900s and modern composers like Maurice Ravel helped him refine his own distinctive approach.
Music ran in Holst’s family for three generations before him, and it was obvious from childhood that he would follow that path. He wanted to be a pianist, but neuritis in his right arm stopped him. Despite his father’s doubts, he studied composition at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. Unable to make a living from his own compositions, he worked as a professional trombone player and later became a teacher—a very good one, according to his colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams. He served as musical director at Morley College from 1907 to 1924, building a strong performance tradition there, and taught at St Paul’s Girls’ School from 1905 until his death in 1934, where he pioneered music education for women. He also founded a series of Whitsun music festivals that ran from 1916 for the rest of his life.
Holst’s works were performed often in the early 1900s, but he only became widely known after *The Planets* found international success in the years right after World War I. He was shy and did not enjoy the fame, preferring to be left alone to compose and teach. In his later years, his uncompromising and personal style struck many listeners as too austere, and his brief popularity faded. Still, he had an important influence on younger English composers like Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett, and Benjamin Britten. Apart from *The Planets* and a few other pieces, his music was largely ignored until the 1980s, when recordings of much of his work became available.
- born
- 21 September 1874
- died
- 25 May 1934
- field
- Composer, arranger, teacher
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Orchestral suite The Planets
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Unable to support himself by his compositions, Holst played the trombone professionally and later became a teacher—a great one, according to his colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams. Among other teaching activities he built up a strong tradition of performance at Morley College, where he served as musical director from 1907 until 1924, and pioneered music education for women at St Paul's Girls' School, where he taught from 1905 until his death in 1934. He was the founder of a series of Whitsun music festivals, which ran from 1916 for the remainder of his life. A shy man, he did not welcome the fame that came with the international success of The Planets in the years immediately after the First World War, and preferred to be left in peace to compose and teach. In his later years his uncompromising, personal style of composition struck many music lovers as too austere, and his brief popularity declined. Nevertheless, he was an important influence on a number of younger English composers, including Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten.
Reader's Guide
Holst's significance lies primarily in his orchestral suite The Planets, which brought him international success in the years immediately after the First World War. However, his later works, marked by an uncompromising and personal style, struck many music lovers as too austere, leading to a decline in his brief popularity. Despite this, he was an important influence on a number of younger English composers, including Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett, and Benjamin Britten. His music was generally neglected until the 1980s, when recordings of much of his output became available. His teaching legacy, particularly at Morley College and St Paul's Girls' School, also contributed to his lasting impact on English musical life. Apart from The Planets and a handful of other works, his music was generally neglected until the 1980s, when recordings of much of his output became available.
Did You Know?
- Holst hoped to become a pianist but was prevented by neuritis in his right arm.
- He played the trombone professionally, including in 1897 under the baton of Richard Strauss at the Queen's Hall.
- Holst was a vegetarian and teetotaller partly from frugality and partly from his own inclination.
- He met Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1895, and they became lifelong friends and each other's chief critics.
- Holst founded a series of Whitsun music festivals that ran from 1916 for the remainder of his life.
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