The field of art is often considered incongruent with the realms of science and math. Yet these concepts can fuse quite nicely, especially in the hands of a capable composer. One has only to listen to Gustav Holst’s The Planets to hear proof.

Holst composed The Planets between 1914 and 1916 in a small town in England’s Essex County, amidst the chaotic backdrop of World War I. Holst’s friend, Clifford Bax, an English writer who shared with the British composer an interest in astrology, suggested the idea for the seven-movement suite. The Art of Synthesis, a book by Alan Leo, further spurred Holst’s newfound interest in astrology and provided additional inspiration for his objective: to musically interpret and realize the influences of the planets on human nature.

The seven known planets at that time (excluding Earth) are each represented by a movement within the suite, ranging from the forceful and dissonant Mars—the Bringer of War to the serene Neptune—the Mystic. Each movement embodies a vivid character or emotion relating to a ruling planet in astrology.

As Holst began composing the orchestral suite, he realized that the inclusion of some unique and colorful instrumentation would be necessary for depicting such alien settings. Two harps, a celesta, an organ, assorted percussion, two wordless choruses, and an unusual accompaniment of bass instruments—including bass flute, bass clarinet, bass tuba, bass trombone, contrabassoon, and the rarely used bass oboe—provide the colorful palette of timbres and textures found within the piece.