# Two more songs for Holst's "The Planets"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663 "2005-07-22T16:12:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/1 "2005-07-22T16:12:01Z")
The northeastern Ohio radio station WCLV, 104.9FM, is having a contest to suggest already-existing classical music that would best depict Earth and Pluto, the two planets for which Gustav Holst didn’t compose movements in “The Planets.” Pluto was discovered four years before Holst’s death but, at least according to [Wikipedia.org](http://Wikipedia.org), he never showed any interest in composing a new movement (and, indeed, he resented how “The Planets” became far more popular than any of his other compositions). What pieces of music would you suggest to represent Earth and Pluto? I’d be inclined to suggest some Bach or Handel pieces, but they wouldn’t really compliment or “go” with Holst’s other movements. Maybe something by Sant-Saens, Elgar or Strauss? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/2 "2005-07-22T16:18:24Z")
Naah. Vaughn-Williams is a better match. Maybe something from English Folk Song Suite for the Earth, and the 1st Mvmt of Sinfonia Antarctica for Pluto? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/3 "2005-07-22T16:40:00Z")
Mahler’s _Das Lied von der Erde_? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/4 "2005-07-22T16:57:41Z")
Sedna gets no love. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/5 "2005-07-22T17:47:04Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Sedna gets no love. > > –Cliffy Neither does Quaoar. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/6 "2005-07-22T17:56:29Z")
What about Chiron? Also the _entire_ asteroid belt has been snubbed. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/7 "2005-07-22T18:45:42Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > What pieces of music would you suggest to represent Earth and Pluto? I’d be inclined to suggest some Bach or Handel pieces, but they wouldn’t really compliment or “go” with Holst’s other movements. Maybe something by Sant-Saens, Elgar or Strauss? Beethoven’s 6th for The Earth? Got no idea on Pluto, though. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/8 "2005-07-22T21:16:12Z")
Beethoven’s 6th for Earth sounds good to me. For Pluto, Cage’s _4’ 33"_ is pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/9 "2005-07-22T21:33:27Z")
Colin Matthews composed a new section, “Pluto: the Renewer”, first performed in 2000 … dunno as I like it all that much, but it’s there. (I’ve got it one one of those budget Naxos CDs … ummm … 8.555776 looks like the catalogue number … ) ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/10 "2005-07-22T21:36:36Z")
I think Copeland’s _Variations on a Shaker Melody_ would work for Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/11 "2005-07-23T00:46:38Z")
Huh. Beethoven’s 6th does seem to fit a lot better with the other Holst pieces better than Beethoven’s 9th, which would have been my first idea. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/12 "2005-07-23T02:10:31Z")
“It’s a Small World” would be great for Pluto. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/13 "2005-07-23T03:51:54Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > “It’s a Small World” would be great for Pluto. It’s a small world. It’s a _bug_ world. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-more-songs-for-holsts-the-planets/313663/14 "2005-07-23T04:29:48Z")
Pluto? How about _How Much is that Doggie in the Window?_