Who Wrote The Planets Suite
The Planets Suite was written by Gustav Holst. Holst was a British composer and teacher during the early 20th century. He was known for his use of folk songs within his music. The Planets Suite was one of his most famous works.
The Planet Suite highlights the planets of the solar system. He focuses on the astrological moods of each planet. This can be seen in the titles of each piece, such as Mars, the Bringer of War or Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.
Movements in The Planets Suite Holst
The Planets Suite has 7 movements.
- Mars, the Bringer of War
- Venus, the Bringer of Peace
- Mercury, the Winged Messenger
- Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
- Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
- Uranus, the Magician
- Neptune, the Mystic
The variety of moods highlighted within the suite make these pieces ideal for lessons on musical elements and how they help create the mood of a piece. What makes the music of Mars war-like? What makes the music of Venus peaceful?
A great way to help guide students through each of these complex pieces is with listening maps. I have created listening maps to go with each of the seven movements and I find that they helped students stay much more engaged and pick out key elements within the song.
Grab The Planets Suite Holst Listening Maps here.
The music of The Planets is perfect for listening, introspection and analysis. But with lots of fun peppered in! Here is the lesson I would do.
The Planet Suite Lesson Ideas
Discuss the Solar System
I would start by talking about the solar system as a whole. What is a solar system. What makes something a planet?
I highly recommend the book Pluto Gets The Call. If you are from my generation, then you remember NINE planets in the solar system. This book is super helpful in explaining WHY Pluto was removed from its planetary status, and it is all done through cute and humorous cartoons. It is a great science and ELA cross-curricular tie-in and sets you up perfectly for your planet unit.
You might also take a moment to discuss why Earth is not featured in the suite.
As I went through each planet in the different lessons, I would also probably share some fun facts about that planet, and maybe even show students the astrological sign, since they are integral to the inspiration for each movement.
Mars, Bringer of War
One of the most pieces is Mars from The Planets Suite by Holst. And just like war, this piece is a little chaotic. I highly recommend using a listening map the first tie to help follow along with key moments within the piece.
Then, this piece just begs for movement to me. Here is a parachute routine you could try out.
Parachute Routine
Beginning (Theme 1): Sit. Move the parachute in waves up and down, switching direction on each note. Increase or decrease in intensity based off the dynamic. At the end of this section there are violin notes that come in strong and fade (annotated by falling start on the listening map). Poof the parachute up and down on each “falling star.”
Theme 2: This section starts with the famous 5/4 cadence from Mars, repeated 3 times. Have students march in place during the cadence. Then during the section theme, they should move the parachute side to side with the beat of the melody.
During the 3rd Theme (played by my primary instrument, the euphonium!), students will walk in a circle. Continue walking until the frenetic violin part at the end of the section, right before the fade. During the violin section shake the parachute quickly up and down with both hands.
On the loud note and fade, sit down. Then move the parachute side to side. If you want you could also have gently rises and falls to match with the increasing and decreasing pitch of the melody. Students should start to stand back up during the drumroll at the end of the section.
When the Mars cadence comes back, students march in place again. Then they will move the parachute up one measure and down one measure, continuing through the section with this motion.
When the euphonium re-enters with the third theme, students will walk in a circle again. Continue walking in a circle until the “shooting star” violin notes come back again.
During the “shooting stars” you will poof the parachute up and down with each note. On the loud note with the fade, everyone sits down.
During the fast violin part, quickly shake the parachute with both hands alternating back and forth. On the final hits, give little shakes (both hands together) on each hit. Then a gentle roll until the end.
After the parachute activity, I would have students discuss what things about the piece felt war-like to them.
Venus, Bringer of Peace
After all the energy of Mars, I might use Venus as a calm and quiet listening. The first time, I might just have them close their eyes and listen to it.
I could have them fill out a worksheet comparing Mars and Venus. They could fill out the Mars section during the Mars lesson. Then they could fill out the Venus section on the next day. Then we could have a short discussion about the main differences and how they create completely different moods.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger
As the title says, Mercury is the Winged Messenger. So I went with a delivery theme for this activity.
Mercury from The Planets Suite Holst: Letter Delivery Movement Activity
To set up for this activity, you will give each student a letter. Want to add a bonus level of musicianship? Put a rhythm or melodic pattern in the letter for students to read at the end of the activity (or define a vocabulary word, name an instrument, etc).
During the activity, the letters will stay closed.
During the beginning section, students tiptoe around the room with their letters.
When the celesta comes in and solos pass through the oboe, flute, oboe and violin, students will gather and make a circle. The circle should be pretty much complete by the time the music gets to the swirling bassoon and French horn transitional music.
During the next quiet solo section, one student will cross the circle and swap envelopes with another student. Then that second student will cross the circle and choose another student to swap envelopes with. How many students will get to swap depends on how quickly they move. When the clarinet solo begins, all students should return to the circle to be ready for the next section.
When the violins come in with the theme, all students in the circle will begin passing their envelopes to the right to the beat. Students should stop passing during the flute solo.
In the next section, students will tiptoe around the room again with their new envelope. When students hear the timpani, they should very slowly, using a very curvy path, make their way back to their spot for the end of the song.
At the end of the song, students can open their envelope and read the musical pattern or answer the musical question if you chose to put one in there.
Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity
This one is one of my favorites. That chorale in the middle is just so. good. In fact, I think it calls for another parachute activity!
Parachute Activity for Jupiter from The Planets
Definition of movement terms:
- Roll – hands move up and down alternating motion – like a drum roll
- Poof – both hands go quickly up in a short motion that “poofs” the parachute
- Left hand circle – hold the parachute with your left hand as you walk counterclockwise.
- Mushroom – raise the parachute up and over your head. Pull it behind your back as you sit down. You will be INSIDE the parachute with it covering over your head and behind your back.
- The Wave – one person lifts the parachute up and back down, then the person next to them repeats the same motion. This motion continues to be passed down the circle one person at a time and creates a wave effect.
At the beginning, you will roll. Poof on the big hit at the end of the phrase. Repeat (roll, then poof on the next hit). Roll on the french horn solo – poof on the syncopated part. Roll on the trumpet solo – poof on the syncopated part. Repeat two more times.
During the second main theme, walk in a left-hand circle during the melody. When the melody repeats, switch and walk the other way. Pause at the end of melody. Start rolling when the trumpet comes in and increase in intensity as dynamics increase.
During the third theme, lift the parachute up for 4 measures and down for 4 measures. You will do this 6 times as the theme repeats 6 times.
On the cymbal crash and fade, you will sit in a mushroom. Start getting out and standing back up when the piccolo comes in.
During the chorale, you will do a little dance in a left hand circle.
Forward-2-3. Backward-2-3. Boys spin in place 6 counts.
Forward-2-3. Backward-2-3. Girls spin in place 6 counts. (Face the center.)
Walk in 3. Out 3. In 3. Out 3.
Lift parachute up 6. Down 6.
Forward-2-3. Backward-2-3. Boys spin in place 6 counts.
Forward-2-3. Backward-2-3. Girls spin in place 6 counts. (Face the center.)
Walk in 3. Out 3. In 3. Out 3.
Lift parachute up 6. Down 6.
Forward-2-3 (and lift up). Backward-2-3 (and bring down). Boys spin in place 6 counts.
Forward-2-3 (and lift up). Backward-2-3 (and bring down). Girls spin in place 6 counts.
During the quiet section, start with a VERY gentle roll and increase as the dynamics grow. Poof on the cymbal crash.
Roll during the low brass entrance, poof on the syncopated response. Roll during the french horn, poof on the syncopated response. Roll on the trumpet, poof on the syncopated response. Roll on the french horn and trumpet, poof on the syncopated response.
On the return of the second theme, walk in a left hand circle like before, switching directions at the repeat of the theme. Roll the parachute during the transitional music.
When the third theme returns, lift the parachutes up 4 measures and down 4 measures like before. You will go up and down 5 times with the melody.
During the swirling build to the end (with parts of the chorale repeated), you will do “the wave.”
Start a roll when the woodwinds and tambourine come in and toss in the air on the last note. Students should FREEZE after the parachute is tossed.
Saturn, Bringer of Old Age
The Saturn movement from The Planets is LONG. Clocking in at over nine minutes, this piece is great for imagining time ticking away. You can hear the plodding slow melody, ticking clocks and even alarm bells. Have them listen for the change in tone at the end.
With all the imagery in this piece, I would probably do a coloring activity. What images come to mind for them as they listen (keeping with the theme of the title). How does the composer create a feeling of Old Age?
After the piece, they can share with a partner what they drew in the picture and then you could select a couple students to share with the class and lead a class discussion about the piece.
Uranus, the Magician
Uranus, the Magician, has some strong similarities to another famous magical piece – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas.
You could show the famous video of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia. Then, pass out scarves and act out a similar story to Uranus from The Planet Suite. You could also do without scarves but I feel like they give off a little bit of a broom vibe.
Scarf Activity for The Planet Suite Holst – Uranus
One person starts off as the apprentice. The rest of the class is seated along the outside of the room.
The broom starts walking from side to side of the room, getting water and dumping it. Every once in a while, the apprentice will choose another broom to join.
Around the two minute mark, where the french horns enter and the music fades, all the active brooms will sit. The apprentice thinks they have stopped them.
When the bassoon’s bouncing melody resumes, the very first broom will stand again and start going back and forth.
After the timpani, when the marching melody begins, the first broom will wake up the other brooms one by one. By the time that the full orchestra is playing, all the students should be brooms, going back and forth across the room.
The Sorcerer should enter on the final chord right before it drops down to piano and all the brooms freeze. The sorcerer looks around at the frozen mess.
When the bouncing bassoon re-enters, all the brooms should start returning to their spot. The sorcerer can shake their head at the apprentice, and then the apprentice could use the final bars of the piece to start collecting all the scarves.
Another fun way to do this activity if you have A LOT of scarves might be to pretend the scarves are the water. The brooms could grab one scarf from a bucket, take it to the other side of the room, and toss it into a pile on the other side. By the end, you would have quite a mess! If students run out of scarves, they could just start taking the scarves from one side to the other, making piles everywhere. I think my students would LOVE to try something like that.
Neptune, the Mystic
For our final movement from The Planet Suite, we have Neptune, the Mystic.
This one has sort of an underwater feel to me and I think it would be perfect for a flashlight activity. Warning! This is another long one – almost ten minutes!
Flashlight Routine for The Planets Neptune, the Magician
Have three different flashlight colors. You can simply get three colors of plastic and attach them with a rubber band over the top of the flashlights.
During the flute’s first entrance with the melody, color one will draw waves on the ceiling. During the second entrance of the flute melody, the second will enter and the first color will stop.
All colors will be off during the other theme featuring the oboe. Then the third color will enter when the first melody returns. They will keep going into the flowing wave section, when the oboe adds, the second color will join. When the low woodwinds add, the first color will join.
On the held note in the trumpets, all flashlights will slowly travel to one side of the room and stop when the note stops. On the next held note, they will travel to the other ide of the room.
During the extended celesta section, the flashlights will wiggle on the fast notes and freeze on each pause.
On the slow celesta arpeggiations at the end of the section, have all the flashlights go left on the first arpeggiation. Right on the second. Left on the ird. And right on the fourth. Then all flashlights travel down and off on the held trumpet note.
Color one makes a figure 8 pattern as the strings re-enter. Color two joins when the oboe enters. Color three joins with the chorus. All three colors continue to draw figure 8 patterns.
When the chorus re-enters, the patterns can become more varied, and even travel off the ceiling to the walls or floor. When the chorus stops, all lights travel down and off.
When the chorus enters for a final time, all flashlights resume (varied patterns everywhere). Slowly, each student should stop and turn their flashlights off as the music fades, until there are no more flashlights.
Neptune Listening Activity
Not interested? Don’t have a bunch of flashlights? You could also color a picture and compare it with the picture from Saturn. What things were similar about this piece? What things were different?
The Planets Suite Holst Final Thoughts
You could do a wrap up at the end to compare the moods of The Planet Suite to the Roman gods they are named after. Do the moods fit?
Or students could choose a favorite planet and explain their answer.
And there it is! Seven activities for the seven movements of The Planets by Holst. Again, these pieces are incredibly dense, so I highly recommend using listening maps to help students follow along. You can grab listening maps for all seven movements of The Planets Suite here.
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