The years 1900 through 1912 could be thought of as the British composer Gustav Holst's (1874-1934) "Sanskrit" period. Inspired by his Theosophist stepmother, Holst developed an interest in the religious literature and poetry of India in his mid-twenties, going so far as to learn the rudiments of the Sanskrit language at University College, London, so that he could make his own translations when he found those that were available unsuitable for his musical settings.  His first effort in this vein was the opera […]