Holst's The Planets

[Peter Power Pop]

I have not heard Rattle's earlier account with the Philharmonia and seeing how good he is with the Berliners, I'm almost scared to listen to that performance out of fear that it could be better. If anything, Rattle's tempi might be a bit more on the brisk side with the Philharmonia. I'll have to investigate that recording.

You can hear it on Spotify:

https://play.spotify.com/album/3G6EqPey5LjM2kLdoP1Oj5



I'm listening to it now, and enjoying it. It's not as fussy as Rattle's later Berlin recording (also on Spotify).

Thanks for all the commentary thus far, Peter. Quite interesting.

A-OK, MI.

[mahler10th]

This one knocks me daft...love it.

[asin]B00025OH8Y[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

You can hear it on Spotify:

https://play.spotify.com/album/3G6EqPey5LjM2kLdoP1Oj5



I'm listening to it now, and enjoying it. It's not as fussy as Rattle's later Berlin recording (also on Spotify).

A-OK, MI.

I prefer Rattle when he's fussy. I'll have to give his earlier Philharmonia performance a listen as I'm sure my dad owns it (he owns almost every single recording of The Planets released).

[Peter Power Pop]

I prefer Rattle when he's fussy. I'll have to give his earlier Philharmonia performance a listen as I'm sure my dad owns it (he owns almost every single recording of The Planets released).

I have a feeling that I've just started doing the same thing.

Up until participating in this thread, I was happy with my one CD of The Planets (Dutoit's). But now I'm seeking out various interpretations on CD from all over the place (mainly eBay, where they're cheap).

For the last few weeks, and also courtesy of recommendations (but on a different classical music forum), I went on a CD-buying frenzy with Orff's Carmina Burana. I ended up buying 26 of them. Yes, 26.

And now I'm doing exactly the same thing with The Planets. Gulp.

I see an alarming trend happening here.

(I was going to say "Somebody stop me!" – but I don't want anyone to stop me.)

[Peter Power Pop]

This one knocks me daft...love it.

[asin]B00025OH8Y[/asin]

I'd love to hear the Groves version, but I can't find it anywhere. (Well, not anywhere cheap.)

[Mirror Image]

I have a feeling that I've just started doing the same thing.

Up until participating in this thread, I was happy with my one CD of The Planets (Dutoit's). But now I'm seeking out various interpretations on CD from all over the place (mainly eBay, where they're cheap).

For the last few weeks, and also courtesy of recommendations (but on a different classical music forum), I went on a CD-buying frenzy with Orff's Carmina Burana. I ended up buying 26 of them. Yes, 26.

And now I'm doing exactly the same thing with The Planets. Gulp.

I see an alarming trend happening here.

(I was going to say "Somebody stop me!" – but I don't want anyone to stop me.)

It's certainly a masterwork and there are lesser works you could be collecting various recordings of like Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture or anything from Rossini. Sorry, I had to say it. Anyway, here's a fun idea, if you could indulge us, what are your top 5 favorite performances of The Planets or have you not reached the point where you could give a list of favorites?

[Peter Power Pop]

It's certainly a masterwork and there are lesser works you could be collecting various recordings of like Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture or anything from Rossini. Sorry, I had to say it. Anyway, here's a fun idea, if you could indulge us, what are your top 5 favorite performances of The Planets or have you not reached the point where you could give a list of favorites?

I sure can.

I'll take stock of what I've grabbed so far (I now have plenty of versions), find out what I've heard and what I haven't, listen to what I haven't, and then let you know what I think. It might take a little while, but at least the work only goes about 50 minutes. Hopefully it won't take too long. (I'm awfully glad I won't be comparing recordings of The Ring.)

[Mirror Image]

I sure can.

I'll take stock of what I've grabbed so far (I now have plenty of versions), find out what I've heard and what I haven't, listen to what I haven't, and then let you know what I think. It might take a little while, but at least the work only goes about 50 minutes. Hopefully it won't take too long. (I'm awfully glad I won't be comparing recordings of The Ring.)

Great! I await your list of favorites.

In the meantime, perhaps my favorite movement of the entire suite is Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age. This movement quite literally scares me to death. It's eerie atmosphere is one of inevitability. It used to be one of my least favorite movements as I suppose I preferred the more upbeat Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, but as I've gotten older and more experienced Saturn really has hit home with me.

https://www.youtube.com/v/mU04EScW4rM

[Peter Power Pop]

Great! I await your list of favorites.

In the meantime, perhaps my favorite movement of the entire suite is Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age. This movement quite literally scares me to death. It's eerie atmosphere is one of inevitability. It used to be one of my least favorite movements as I suppose I preferred the more upbeat Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, but as I've gotten older and more experienced Saturn really has hit home with me.

https://www.youtube.com/v/mU04EScW4rM

Yeah, "Saturn" creeps up on you. It goes from "This is boring" to "Holy moly, this is freaking me out!"

Dutoit's "Saturn" is stunning. The last couple of minutes, when the low organ notes come in (from 8:00 onwards), amazes me every single time I hear it. Whenever I go testing hi-fi equipment, one of the things I play for bass response is the last couple of minutes of "Saturn". On a good hi-fi, and played loud, those low organ notes will blow you a beautiful breeze. (I think the British classical music press call low organ notes "trouser-flapping".)

I'm pleased to say Dutoit's "Saturn" is on YouTube. I'm not pleased to say it sounds moderately dreadful.

https://www.youtube.com/v/6sbnsLmwlbc

The Dutoit Planets (all of it) is on Spotify, where it sounds better (not great, but better):

Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 (Orchestre symphonique de Montréal / Charles Dutoit)

[71 dB]

Holst's The Planets is one of the most well known pieces of classical music. When part of it is played on radio, it's always Mars. I don't like that part much. So, for long I ignored to whole work. A few year ago I decided to give the work a change and bought David Lloyd-Jones for £0.01 +shipping from Amazon Marketplace. I was surprised by the work. Some of the planets are very very nice music, but never played in the media! I like the less aggressive planets the most while Mars is the most violent, of course.

Anyway, I am pleased with David Lloyd-Jones on Naxos and I'm not interested of other versions.

[mc ukrneal]

Holst's The Planets is one of the most well known pieces of classical music. When part of it is played on radio, it's always Mars. I don't like that part much. So, for long I ignored to whole work. A few year ago I decided to give the work a change and bought David Lloyd-Jones for £0.01 +shipping from Amazon Marketplace. I was surprised by the work. Some of the planets are very very nice music, but never played in the media! I like the less aggressive planets the most while Mars is the most violent, of course.

Anyway, I am pleased with David Lloyd-Jones on Naxos and I'm not interested of other versions.

That's a good one - Consistently so across the different planets.

[jfdrex]

I join many others here in lauding the Steinberg/ Boston Symphony recording.  It's been reissued a number of times, in different pairings.  (The particular CD I have pairs it with Jochum's Enigma Variations--and a very Brucknerian reading that is!)  But I seem to recall reading somewhere that one of the DG releases contain egregious editing errors.  Has anyone else noticed this?  (By the way, I believe there's also a live performance of The Planets by Steinberg and the BSO posted by one of the music sharing groups; I've not heard it, but that performance is said to be even better than Steinberg's DG recording.)

I've only scanned the previous pages of this long thread, so I might have missed it, but has anyone mentioned the Handley/ RPO recording?  I haven't listened to it in ages, but I recall finding it highly satisfying.  It still seems to be available in a couple of different incarnations:

[asin]B000TLWGJS[/asin]

[asin]B00000DGVJ[/asin]

[vandermolen]

I have a feeling that I've just started doing the same thing.

Up until participating in this thread, I was happy with my one CD of The Planets (Dutoit's). But now I'm seeking out various interpretations on CD from all over the place (mainly eBay, where they're cheap).

For the last few weeks, and also courtesy of recommendations (but on a different classical music forum), I went on a CD-buying frenzy with Orff's Carmina Burana. I ended up buying 26 of them. Yes, 26.

And now I'm doing exactly the same thing with The Planets. Gulp.

I see an alarming trend happening here.

(I was going to say "Somebody stop me!" – but I don't want anyone to stop me.)

Clearly a hopeless case of OCCDCD (obsessive compulsive CD collecting disorder  - there is a thread in the Diner section of the forum I think). My favourite movement is, and always was, even when I was young, 'Saturn the Bringer of Old Age'. I think that Boult's dispassionate view works very well here on his various recordings. I read a view recently which interestingly argued that Vaughan Williams's turbulent 6th Symphony was a tribute to his old friend Holst and the epilogue could be referencing Neptune at the end.

My version of the fine Steinberg recording of The Planets on DGG is coupled with Ligeti's 'Atmospheres' of '2001 A Space Odyssey' fame.

[vandermolen]

You and I are on the same page 

Sarge

Yes, they are both fine versions although the Herrmann is more controversial. 

[Peter Power Pop]

I join many others here in lauding the Steinberg/ Boston Symphony recording.  It's been reissued a number of times, in different pairings.  (The particular CD I have pairs it with Jochum's Enigma Variations--and a very Brucknerian reading that is!)  But I seem to recall reading somewhere that one of the DG releases contain egregious editing errors.  Has anyone else noticed this?  (By the way, I believe there's also a live performance of The Planets by Steinberg and the BSO posted by one of the music sharing groups; I've not heard it, but that performance is said to be even better than Steinberg's DG recording.)

I've only scanned the previous pages of this long thread, so I might have missed it, but has anyone mentioned the Handley/ RPO recording?  I haven't listened to it in ages, but I recall finding it highly satisfying.  It still seems to be available in a couple of different incarnations:

     

Handley's Planets has been mentioned on this thread, but only in passing (here).

I didn't know it existed until I heard about it on another classical music forum (it was praised to the heavens there), and was intrigued. I found the album on Spotify where I could hear it all:

Holst: The Planets, Op. 32 (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley)

I only heard a couple of minutes of "Mars", and I was hooked.

I immediately bought it. The CD I bought was the original release (on Tring's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra label). It has this cover:

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, "Saturn" creeps up on you. It goes from "This is boring" to "Holy moly, this is freaking me out!"

Dutoit's "Saturn" is stunning. The last couple of minutes, when the low organ notes come in (from 8:00 onwards), amazes me every single time I hear it. Whenever I go testing hi-fi equipment, one of the things I play for bass response is the last couple of minutes of "Saturn". On a good hi-fi, and played loud, those low organ notes will blow you a beautiful breeze. (I think the British classical music press call low organ notes "trouser-flapping".)

I'm pleased to say Dutoit's "Saturn" is on YouTube. I'm not pleased to say it sounds moderately dreadful.

https://www.youtube.com/v/6sbnsLmwlbc

The Dutoit Planets (all of it) is on Spotify, where it sounds better (not great, but better):

https://play.spotify.com/album/0w32A1A9aeuv5jLL7q3wOq

I can't say that I enjoy Dutoit's Planets that much. My general problem with his conducting is the fact that everything is a bit too 'note perfect' if you understand what I'm saying. The notes are all there, but that's all I get with him. My favorite Dutoit recording is still his Daphnis et Chloe. Why he couldn't turn on the heat with other performances I have no idea.

[Mirror Image]

Let me say this, I kind of feel bad for Holst considering that The Planets is a sonic blockbuster and a concert staple. I wonder if people on this thread have given his other music a listen? I'm sure most of you have, it's just that I hate seeing a work like Edgon Heath or Japanese Suite get the shaft. It seems that The Planets is a rarity within his oeuvre. A lot of his music, and Ilaria can back me up on this one, is quite subdued, melodic, and lyrical. You won't hear Mars in his music nor will you get the sense of radiance you get with Jupiter. What you get, however, is a composer whose musical style isn't one of flamboyance or note-spinning. I'm not the greatest Holst fan in the world but I've come to appreciate his 'other' works as much as The Planets.

[Peter Power Pop]

I can't say that I enjoy Dutoit's Planets that much. My general problem with his conducting is the fact that everything is a bit too 'note perfect' if you understand what I'm saying. ...

I know where you're coming from.

...The notes are all there, but that's all I get with him. ...

You find it all a bit too slick.

...My favorite Dutoit recording is still his Daphnis et Chloe. Why he couldn't turn on the heat with other performances I have no idea.

Who knows?

Dutoit can leave some people cold, but like a lot of other divisive conductors he also has devotees. (I'm in the latter camp.) But I get what you're saying. His recordings are what I'd describe as "Rolls Royce" recordings. They're opulent and impeccable. But I understand that some times you won't want a Rolls Royce – you'll want something friskier, something that has more pep than perfection.

[Peter Power Pop]

Let me say this, I kind of feel bad for Holst considering that The Planets is a sonic blockbuster and a concert staple. I wonder if people on this thread have given his other music a listen? I'm sure most of you have, it's just that I hate seeing a work like Edgon Heath or Japanese Suite get the shaft. It seems that The Planets is a rarity within his oeuvre. A lot of his music, and Ilaria can back me up on this one, is quite subdued, melodic, and lyrical. You won't hear Mars in his music nor will you get the sense of radiance you get with Jupiter. What you get, however, is a composer whose musical style isn't one of flamboyance or note-spinning. I'm not the greatest Holst fan in the world but I've come to appreciate his 'other' works as much as The Planets.

It's bad news for a composer when you're a one-hit wonder. The recognition and acclaim can be enjoyable, but the lack of acknowledgement for everything else you've done can be enormously frustrating. (It reminds me of the time a fan went up to James Joyce and said "I must shake the hand that wrote Ulysses." Joyce replied, "It's done other things as well!")

I very much like Holst's other works (I love Beni Mora), but for the time being I'm consumed with The Planets, listening to as many different interpretations as I can.

[Mirror Image]

Dutoit can leave some people cold, but like a lot of other divisive conductors he also has devotees. (I'm in the latter camp.) But I get what you're saying. His recordings are what I'd describe as "Rolls Royce" recordings. They're opulent and impeccable. But I understand that some times you won't want a Rolls Royce – you'll want something friskier, something that has more pep than perfection.

It's not that I'm completely against his conducting or have some kind of axe to grind, I just feel that so much of the time like he's more worried about making a mistake than he is letting some genuine emotion come through the performances. I do like several of his performances, but I was left cold by his Planets. I'm not sure if he had a full understanding of the material other than what the score tells the orchestra to play.