The Planets is a set of seven pieces for a large orchestra by the English composer Gustav Holst. He wrote it between 1914 and 1917. Each piece is named for a planet and has its own mood: Mars is war, Venus is peace, Jupiter is joy. The best first piece for a child is “Jupiter,” which lasts about eight minutes.
The full set runs about 50 minutes. Most families play one planet at a time.
Quick facts
- Composer: Gustav Holst, from England
- Written: 1914 to 1917
- First played: 1918, in London
- Length: about 50 minutes for all seven
- Played by: a large orchestra with two harps, an organ, and a hidden choir
Why there are seven planets
Holst left out the Earth. His idea came from astrology, which gives each planet a character, and astrology looks out from the Earth.
There is no Pluto in the set. Pluto was found in 1930, more than ten years after Holst finished.
The pieces do not follow the order from the sun. Holst began with Mars and ended with Neptune.
The seven movements
Mars, the Bringer of War. A hard rhythm hammers from the first bar to the last. The strings tap it out with the wood of their bows. There are five beats in each bar, which makes the march feel uneven. The brass grow louder until the whole orchestra crashes. It lasts about seven minutes.
Venus, the Bringer of Peace. After the noise of Mars, a single horn climbs. Flutes answer. A solo violin plays over harps. Nothing hurries.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger. The shortest and quickest piece, about four minutes long. Small scraps of tune dart from one instrument to the next. Listen for the celesta, a keyboard that sounds like small bells.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. Jollity is an old word for cheerful fun. The strings rush, and the horns leap in with a bold tune. Partway through, the music slows for a broad, noble tune in the strings. It was later set to words as a hymn. Then the dancing comes back.
Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age. Two chords rock back and forth, slow and steady. A heavy march builds, bells clang, and then everything settles into calm. Holst said this one was his favorite.
Uranus, the Magician. Four loud notes from the brass open the piece. Then the bassoons start a lumpy, hopping dance. The magician’s tricks grow bigger and louder, and then vanish.
Neptune, the Mystic. The quietest piece. Harps and celesta shimmer. Near the end, a choir of women’s voices sings with no words from a room offstage. The voices repeat two chords, softer each time, until nobody can tell when the sound has stopped.
Where to start
- “Jupiter,” for the big tunes
- “Mars,” for a child who likes loud music with a strong beat
- “Mercury,” for a short first try
- “Neptune,” at bedtime
Things to do together
Which planet is it? Write the seven names and their subtitles on cards. Play the first minute of a movement. Ask your child to hold up the card that fits.
Count to five. In “Mars,” count “one, two, three, four, five” out loud with the rhythm. Then tap it on your knees. Time signatures explained covers why five beats feel odd.
Draw the character. Give your child a listening journal page. Play one planet and ask for a picture of the person or the place the music brings to mind.
Loud and soft. Play the end of “Mars” and the end of “Neptune” back to back. Ask how each one stops. Dynamics in music explained for kids has the words for it.
Pair it with the sky. Find a planet in a book or on a clear night. Then play its music.
About the composer
Holst played the trombone and taught music at a girls’ school in London for most of his working life. He wrote The Planets on weekends and school holidays.
Print the Holst fact sheet for your child to fill in, and find him on the composer timeline. More guides are listed in classical music listening guides for kids.
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This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.