Among the most popular and important modern British composers, Gustav Holst (1874 1934) was a true eccentric, given to odd enthusiasms and mystical musings. His spectacular symphonic suite The Planets, first performed in 1918, established hisinternational reputation and remains a staple of the orchestral repertoire to this day.Scored for huge orchestral forces and a wordless chorus, the work is divided into seven movements, the music of each embodying the astrological and mysticalqualities of a ...