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'Pluto the Renewer' Is No Swan Song

A young visitor at the American Museum of Natural History's Cullman Hall of the Universe. Enlarge image i

A young visitor at the American Museum of Natural History's Cullman Hall of the Universe.

Michael Brown/Getty Images
A young visitor at the American Museum of Natural History's Cullman Hall of the Universe.

A young visitor at the American Museum of Natural History's Cullman Hall of the Universe.

Michael Brown/Getty Images

When Gustav Holst finished his iconic work "The Planets" in 1917, Pluto had yet to be discovered. Six years ago, British composer Colin Matthews was commissioned to round out the set. He called his composition "Pluto, the Renewer." A new recording of the piece — with Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic — will be released Tuesday.

In the meantime, of course, we're back to eight classical planets again. Pluto has been booted out of the planetary club.

Will "Pluto the Renewer" end up a musical footnote? Colin Matthews offers his thoughts in a conversation with Noah Adams.

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