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| Can you say dweeb? |
I've always had some trouble getting into his music -- smacks overmuch of a self-important film soundtrack -- but Holst has just jumped up a few rungs in my estimation by having enrolled himself in the University College London at age 21 to learn Sanskrit. Kudos Gustavus. Apparently he caught a substantial whiff of the whole craze for exotic Orientalism that ripped through Europe at the time. Or he just read too much Max Müller. I should know all this, but I've really never looked into the man with much thoroughness. Listening to BBC's Composer of the Week bit on him as we speak. Still get too much soundtrack vibes for my taste
Tidbit: Holst is an archaic way of referring to a resident of Holstein (of Schleswig-Holstein fame). The name Holstein in turn derives from a Saxon tribe variously referred to as Holcetae, Holsati, Holtzati, (per Adam von Bremen); in Holsatiam, Holsatiis (Saxo Grammaticus); Holcete (Annalista Saxo), etc. Bremen interprets the name thusly: "Holcetae, dicti a silvis, quas accolunt."
Johannes Hoops' Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde (accessed gracias Google) etymologizes like so: 1) holt (cf. Holz, Gehölz, Wald) + 2) sat, setio -seton, -seti, -cetae, -saten, -sazon sind auf germ. *setjon, "einer der irgendwo sitzt, lebt, 'Bewohner.' " = Waldsassen, Waldbewohner. In fine: Holst < Holstein < Holt + *setjon = wood-dwellers.
Drool if you must.
Tidbit: Holst is an archaic way of referring to a resident of Holstein (of Schleswig-Holstein fame). The name Holstein in turn derives from a Saxon tribe variously referred to as Holcetae, Holsati, Holtzati, (per Adam von Bremen); in Holsatiam, Holsatiis (Saxo Grammaticus); Holcete (Annalista Saxo), etc. Bremen interprets the name thusly: "Holcetae, dicti a silvis, quas accolunt."
Johannes Hoops' Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde (accessed gracias Google) etymologizes like so: 1) holt (cf. Holz, Gehölz, Wald) + 2) sat, setio -seton, -seti, -cetae, -saten, -sazon sind auf germ. *setjon, "einer der irgendwo sitzt, lebt, 'Bewohner.' " = Waldsassen, Waldbewohner. In fine: Holst < Holstein < Holt + *setjon = wood-dwellers.
Drool if you must.
