Abstract:

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) is an English composer and music educator who  was active during the first half of the 20th century. Being influenced by the  current musical approaches and socio-cultural conditions of his time, he  combined traditional English folk music elements and the symbolic language  of various religions and mythologies to create an authentic style. He was a very  inspirational figure among his peers and also for future composers. The aim  of this article is to research the symbolism which inspired Gustave Holst to  compose his milestone work The Planets and to analyze how this symbolism  was reflected throughout his work. Discussions on Gustav Holst’s life, his  musical approach and the elements that impacted it are followed by a musical  analysis of all the movements of The Planets, alongside their symbolism. The  Planets is a very important example of how abstract concepts like symbols  and thoughts can be fundamental musical materials in a composition.  It is predicted that an analysis of the symbolism in this work and its role in  the creation process will be important in determining the importance of  intellectual elements in compositional methods.

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