Gustav Holst The Planets - Jupiter + John William Waterhouse Paintings

Sit down with your children and let's explore the British composer Gustav Holst and British painter John William Waterhouse's work.

I first heard Holst 'The Planets - Op. 32: IV Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity,' at a Cairns Violin Studio concert. A young girl playing the solo on violin. I was captivated!

Holst' Planets is an orchestral piece where each movement of the suite was named after a planet of the Solar System and represented the astrological character.

Jupiter represents Jollity. On a first listen of a whole orchestra playing Jupiter, I found it amazing, a majestic and honorable feeling but also overwhelming and couldn't hear that joy at the forefront. I was picking up on hardship, but could it be communicating that true joy comes through hardship?

I chose to use the solo violin from the orchestral piece for this clip, performed by Ayako Ishikawa. I can grasp the character the music has here and it sounds more personal which matches the Waterhouse paintings.

Holst and Waterhouse both lived in England, around 20 years apart, Waterhouse being the older. Even though Waterhouse was born in Rome to British parents, he lived in England. I wonder how much a country can have an influence or character on the sound and style of art we make?

Waterhouse started off in the Academic style of painting then was part of the Pre-Raphelites. He painted mostly women, Greek Myths, is known for his painting women from ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend.

Holst played piano and violin as a child but hated the violin, yet here he composes the most beauitful music for violin.

Let your child watch the paintings and hear the music, then ask them to stop on the painting that stood out the most to them.

Ask them to talk about the painting:
Describe what they see?
What do they think is happening?
Why?
How does it make them feel?

Then play the music and ask them to describe it?
How does it make them feel?

To explore more of Gustav Holst Planets for young children they have this Orchestra book where you can press a button and hear each sound of the composition - a great introduction:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-story-orchestra-the-planets-jessica-courtney-tickle/book/9780711289161.html?source=pla&gad_source=5&gad_campaignid=22221202061

The words that come up for me when I watch this is: BEAUTY, HARDSHIP, JOY

What 3 describing words come up for you?

Thanks Little Listeners 🎶🎨

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