Gustav Holst - Venus, the Bringer of Peace (The Planets)
for Chamber Orchestra

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) composed his orchestral suite The Planets in 1914-1916. It was immediately popular, and has remained one of the cornerstones of the orchestral repertoire. Each movement depicts the astrological character of the planets in the Solar System, with the exception of Earth. The second movement depicts the sublime character of Venus, peaceful and idyllic. Its delicate scoring lends itself well to a chamber version, and this arrangement captures the stillness and beauty of the original.

Available to purchase from Aria Editions here

Instrumentation: flute, 2 oboes, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trombone, violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, double bass, harp, celeste (medium-sized string section)

Listen to a performance of the arrangement here:

Venus (8'05)