Holst Planets: Mercury

We continue our study of the Mercury movement from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Written in 1914-16, this orchestral masterpiece is essential for every composer and orchestrator to have in their toolbox. We’ll dive into useful orchestration techniques and discuss the influence this piece has had on film music. We conduct an in-depth look at the orchestration and composition of this whimsical piece by using our mockup version synched to the score. This enables us to zero in on orchestral sections and individual instruments to help tease apart the construction of Holst’s orchestration. This study is led by ASA President David Das and Vice-President Reuven Herman.