Holst’s popular symphonic suite enchants through its exquisite orchestration, sheer tonal beauty, and expressive directness. Your investigation assesses the character of Holst the man, his music, and the astrological basis of this work’s conception. In the suite’s seven “mood pictures,” identify each movement’s core thematic material and the way each depicts the zodiacal character of the individual planets, from the warlike fury of ”Mars” to the ineffable mysticism of ”Neptune.”