Born Gustavus Theodore von Holst in Cheltenham, England on September 21, 1874, Gustav Holst was a famous popular modern composer of the early 20th century. He is best known for the First and Second Suites for Military Band, and his most famous work of all, The Planets suite, which left him as one of the most influential contemporary composers of the 20th century.
Holst grew up in a family of several generations of talented, professional musicians. He grew up and learned playing the trombone, violin, and piano during his childhood, although he took up the trombone and piano more over the violin as he grew older. As a child, Holst suffered from poor eyesight and asthma problems, the latter of which was one of the reasons he took up playing a musical wind instrument, which was thought to help strengthen his chest and lungs. Later, Holst developed neuritis in his right arm nerves, which prevented any previous aspirations to become a professional pianist. Holst later studied music composition at the Royal College of Music. Charles Villiers Stanford, the famous composer, was Holst’s professor of composition at the RCM. Unable to support himself by his compositions, Holst played the trombone professionally and became a teacher at several different times at different schools throughout England and Germany to make financial ends meet. Holst struggled for several years to make a living as a professional composer, as he continued to write several small compositions and pieces over the years.
Among his various compositions, Holst’s First Suite in E-flat for Military Band (1909) and Second Suite in F for Military Band (1911) are very popular and famous concert band suites. Both suites are written in Holst’s traditional style of English folk s...
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...l decades after his death in 1934, English composer Colin Matthews wrote Pluto, the Renewer, in 2000, which was dedicated to the late Imogen Holst, Gustav Holst's daughter. Although it was not written by Holst nor ever heard by him in his lifetime, it is sometimes regarded as an extension or supplementary addition to The Planets suite. The Planets remained to be Holst’s most famous work long after his death, although Holst always felt like people would never be satisfied with his work following the high bar set by The Planets suite.
Gustav Holst eventually died on May 25, 1934 in London, England at the age of 59. Although The Planets suite will forever be known as his signature work, the extent of his influence in concert and orchestral music and compositions have persisted through the decades in the hearts and performances of composers and musicians everywhere.
Joplin's talent was revealed at an early age. Encouraged by his parent's, he became extremely proficient on the banjo and gained an interest for playing the piano. After Joplin's parents purchased a piano for the family, he taught himself how to play the instrument so well that his piano playing became remarkable. Joplin soon began playing for church and local social events. By age eleven, while under the teachings of a German music teacher named Juliuss Weiss, Joplin was learning the finer points of harmony and style. As a teenager, he played well enough to be employed as a dance musician.
“You gotta play this piece like an English military band would,” said Jules during band one day while rehearsing the first movement of Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F. “1. March” begins with four notes played by the low brass which is then echoed by the upper woodwinds. The trumpets have a noble melody which broadens when the entire ensemble joins in. Next, the piece lightens up with an upper woodwind melody. Later on there is a euphonium solo, and following that is a grand theme with an extremely distinguished style. After, there is a change in style and time signature. One simple theme repeats with different dynamics and instrumentations every repetition. The Wind Ensemble played this piece at the Winter Band Concert on December 11, 2013. This work, though easy looking at first glance, was genuinely difficult to put together. It had few layers, so mistakes or intonation problems were extremely noticeable. Furthermore, the style of the piece was extremely intricate and hard to master. Therefore, “1. March” had positives and negatives regarding intonation, balance and blend, articulation, style, and dynamics throughout the entire ensemble and the low instrument section.
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was an English composer well known for his orchestral suite The Planets. Holst began his trip into the musical world as a young pianist. His father, Adolph Holst, was a skilled pianist who wanted Gustav to succeed at playing as he did. Gustav, however, was impaired by neuritis making it difficult to play for long hours. As Gustav aged he began trying to compose music instead. Gustav failed to gain scholarships to any colleges and his father, after hearing one of Gustav’s small town operettas, borrowed money to pay for his college. Gustav’s influences were pieces such as Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Tristan and Isolode as well as Bach’s Mass in B Minor in his younger years. He began playing trombone when his neuritis became unbearable.
...lassical composers, I applaud this man for his creativity, style, but most of all for the great contribution he has made to the music and film world.
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a contemporary composer, who is best known for his composition, "The Planets". He was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in western England. He was an organist and choirmaster at the local Gloucestershire church, but he had neuritis in his right hand, which kept...
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