Holst's The Planets

[DavidA]

Yes - a most special version!  Very exciting!

I used to have this on cassette. Very good version.

Today I have both the Karajan versions and one by Previn on Telarc.

[vandermolen]

I think that any performance stands or falls by 'Saturn - the Bringer of Old Age' my favourite movement by far (and Holst's too I think). Boult in his myriad performances is very strong here. After all Boult, according to Holst 'first made the Planets shine'. I also like Steinberg, Bernard Herrmann, and Karajan on DGG and Decca. Recently I went to see Holst's grave in Chichester Cathedral.

'Pluto' was a disaster and just as the astronomers decided that it was no longer a planet!

[jochanaan]

How long is a Pluto year?...

Longer than you or I will ever see.

...'Pluto' was a disaster and just as the astronomers decided that it was no longer a planet!

I haven't heard "Pluto" yet.  It's perhaps the only piece of music I have no interest in hearing.  How can you follow Neptune's long long celestial fadeout?!

[Dax]

Pluto's awful. Listen to it on YouTube.

[vandermolen]

Longer than you or I will ever see. :blank:I haven't heard "Pluto" yet.  It's perhaps the only piece of music I have no interest in hearing.  How can you follow Neptune's long long celestial fadeout?!

You can't. That's why Colin Matthews had to bring it back again at the end of 'Pluto'.

[Karl Henning]

Pluto's awful. Listen to it on YouTube.

I trust you. I shan't.

0:)

[North Star]

Pluto isn't even a planet anymore, so there's no reason to hear that..

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[North Star]

The Asteroid Belt, symphonic suite in ca. 1,300,000 parts.

[Dax]

I trust you. I shan't.

0:)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but its many-layered incompetence has to be heard to be believed - 30 seconds will probably do the trick.

[jochanaan]

You can't. That's why Colin Matthews had to bring it back again at the end of 'Pluto'.

Ah, he "pulled a Sussmayer!"  (Reference to Mozart Requiem.)

[Peter Power Pop]

'Pluto' was a disaster and just as the astronomers decided that it was no longer a planet!

I haven't heard "Pluto" yet.  It's perhaps the only piece of music I have no interest in hearing.  How can you follow Neptune's long long celestial fadeout?!

You can't. That's why Colin Matthews had to bring it back again at the end of 'Pluto'.

Pluto's awful. Listen to it on YouTube.

I trust you. I shan't.

0:)

For anyone game enough to try, here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/v/9IA7BfZZd_Q

[71 dB]

How about Colin Matthews doing Eris? 

Eris was discovered in 2005 and appears to be larger than Pluto. At first it was called the tenth planet of our solar system, but in 2006 International Astronomical Union defined the term "planet". Pluto and Eris aren't massive enough to meet the criteria, so they are dwarf planets.

[Mirror Image]

Getting back on topic, what does everyone think of Sir Rattle's performance with the Berliners? I think it's one of the finest on record. I never cared for many of the ones that seem to be rated the highest. I also like Mackerras' performance a lot, although he sometimes adopts a faster tempi in certain sections that I feel need to be taken a bit slower and should be allowed to wallow in a bit. I'm thinking here of Saturn and Neptune. I still need to hear the Steinberg/BSO recording which I've embarrassingly continue to ignore for no good reason. Perhaps I'll give it a spin later on today.

As for the discussion of Matthews' Pluto, I have no interest in hearing it whatsoever.

[Peter Power Pop]

Getting back on topic, what does everyone think of Sir Rattle's performance with the Berliners? I think it's one of the finest on record. I never cared for many of the ones that seem to be rated the highest.

I haven't heard the Rattle version yet. I'm interested in hearing what Simon and the Berliners do with The Planets.

I also like Mackerras' performance a lot, although he sometimes adopts a faster tempi in certain sections that I feel need to be taken a bit slower and should be allowed to wallow in a bit. I'm thinking here of Saturn and Neptune. I still need to hear the Steinberg/BSO recording which I've embarrassingly continue to ignore for no good reason. Perhaps I'll give it a spin later on today.

The Steinberg version is highly regarded, but for me it's a little too zippy. It's a fairly breathless reading, and one that I find it exciting, but the problem for me is that it doesn't allow me to linger on anything. I might want to savour a certain part of the suite, but Steinberg will say, "No, there's no time, we must keep moving." Everything seems to be treated in such a brisk manner that I keep wanting to say "Billy! Relax, enjoy!". The timings might indicate that, tempo-wise, it's a fairly average reading, but it all just feels so fast.

This is The Planets to listen to if you've had too much coffee.

Here's his Mars:

https://www.youtube.com/v/PlHn90j2Ri4

As for the discussion of Matthews' Pluto, I have no interest in hearing it whatsoever.

I've heard it once. I don't want to hear it again.

[Mirror Image]

I haven't heard the Rattle version yet. I'm interested in hearing what Simon and the Berliners do with The Planets.

The Steinberg version is highly regarded, but for me it's a little too zippy. It's a fairly breathless reading, and one that I find it exciting, but the problem for me is that it doesn't allow me to linger on anything. I might want to savour a certain part of the suite, but Steinberg will say, "No, there's no time, we must keep moving." Everything seems to be treated in such a brisk manner that I keep wanting to say "Billy! Relax, enjoy!". The timings might indicate that, tempo-wise, it's a fairly average reading, but it all just feels so fast.

This is The Planets to listen to if you've had too much coffee.

Here's his Mars:

https://www.youtube.com/v/PlHn90j2Ri4

I've heard it once. I don't want to hear it again.

Of the 15 something performances I've heard of The Planets, Rattle/Berlin and Bernstein/NY Philharmonic go straight to the top. I'm kind of cautious to hear Steinberg's performance now. For me, listening to his Saturn and Neptune will be the ultimate test to see whether I enjoy what he does with the work. Thanks for your feedback, Peter.

[Peter Power Pop]

Of the 15 something performances I've heard of The Planets, Rattle/Berlin and Bernstein/NY Philharmonic go straight to the top. ...

Now I definitely want to hear the Rattle.

And now I want to hear Bernstein's as well.



     or     

... I'm kind of cautious to hear Steinberg's performance now. For me, listening to his Saturn and Neptune will be the ultimate test to see whether I enjoy what he does with the work. Thanks for your feedback, Peter.

No problem. You might not find Steinberg's Planets as frisky as I did. As people from the land of Americans like to say: "Your mileage may vary."

[Peter Power Pop]

Of the 15 something performances I've heard of The Planets, Rattle/Berlin and Bernstein/NY Philharmonic go straight to the top. I'm kind of cautious to hear Steinberg's performance now. For me, listening to his Saturn and Neptune will be the ultimate test to see whether I enjoy what he does with the work. Thanks for your feedback, Peter.

I've just discovered Simon Rattle has an earlier The Planets, with the Philharmonia Orchestra. It's from 1987. (Details at Amazon.co.uk)

You can hear both Rattle versions in their entirety (entireties?) on Spotify:

Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 - Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (1987)

Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 - Berliner Philharmoniker / Sir Simon Rattle (2006)

[Ken B]

Of the 15 something performances I've heard of The Planets, Rattle/Berlin and Bernstein/NY Philharmonic go straight to the top. I'm kind of cautious to hear Steinberg's performance now. For me, listening to his Saturn and Neptune will be the ultimate test to see whether I enjoy what he does with the work. Thanks for your feedback, Peter.

d

Karajan/Decca is the best I know of, but have not heard Rattle.

[Green Destiny]

^^Reading this thread I remembered that I bought Steinberg's Planets/TSZ recording a couple of years ago and haven't even listened to it yet! - I will give it a spin sometime today. Thanks for the reminder gents