Holst's The Planets

[71 dB]

Amazon link:

[asin]B000027QWB[/asin]

Fabulous sonics, too.

Fabulous sonics maybe, but the cover art is ugly. Boult is sniffing his own name. Word "conducts" looks ridiculous. The colours are hidious, Holst must be sick since he is so green/yellow. Who designs these? 

Thanks, I already found the CD myself on Amazon (on my Wishlist)

[Sergeant Rock]

Fabulous sonics maybe, but the cover art is ugly. Boult is sniffing his own name. Word "conducts" looks ridiculous. The colours are hidious, Holst must be sick since he is so green/yellow. Who designs these? 

You're right, dB...this belongs in the Worst Cover thread 

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Interesting point about Honegger ( one of my favourite composers). As the originator of the 'Non- Planets Holst' thread I agree that Beni Mora is a fine work but also put in a word for The a Cloud a messenger, which has some terrific proto-minimalist sections and for a The Perfect Fool ballet music, with its wonderfully poetic and atmospheric central section.

All of those are fine works, Jeffrey. I would add Japanese Suite (a guilty pleasure of mine), The Golden Goose, Egdon Heath, and Hammersmith as other favorites.

[vandermolen]

All of those are fine works, Jeffrey. I would add Japanese Suite (a guilty pleasure of mine), The Golden Goose, Egdon Heath, and Hammersmith as other favorites.

The first two I hardly know so must listen again. Egdon Heath and Hammersmith are top rate Holst.

[Mirror Image]

Getting back to The Planets, today I ripped a few of my dad's recordings (he owns 40+) of random choosing to my iPod and they are the following:

Boult/LPO - EMI
A. Davis/BBC SO - Warner Classics
A. Davis/BBC Philharmonic - Chandos
Handley/Royal PO
HvK/Vienna PO

I'm definitely going to be giving these a listen over the next couple of days.

[Robert]

My Favorite Planets

MacKerras, Monteux, Steinberg....

[Mirror Image]

My Favorite Planets

MacKerras, Monteux, Steinberg....

I really love Mackerras and I've come to enjoy Steinberg, but I have not heard Monteux (yet). I'm sure it's good. He's such an excellent conductor.

[Mirror Image]

Re-listened to Boult's Planets with the LPO on EMI and it is magnificent! I'm not sure what it is about this performance that's magical to me, but Boult is in complete control of the orchestra. He favors slower tempi in Mars, which makes it even more menacing IMHO and also in Jupiter, which gave me the chance to hear all those quicksilver string passages in the beginning of the movement with great clarity. Anyway, this is really a great performance and could it be I'm starting to come around to Boult? It's very possible!

[Mirror Image]

Listened to Handley's Planets also tonight and I'm quite taken with it. There aren't any bizarre eccentricities, although sometimes those can be ear-opening, and I liked the consistency that Handley brought to the performance. It seems he treated every movement, or 'planet' in this case , with great care and the Royal Philharmonic certainly sounds wonderful. In fact, they sound better than I remember them. This could be a close contender for one of the best on record, especially in its' straightforward, even-tempered approach, although his Mars did sound quite ferocious.

[Peter Power Pop]

Getting back to The Planets, today I ripped a few of my dad's recordings (he owns 40+) of random choosing to my iPod and they are the following:

Boult/LPO - EMI
A. Davis/BBC SO - Warner Classics
A. Davis/BBC Philharmonic - Chandos
Handley/Royal PO
HvK/Vienna PO

I'm definitely going to be giving these a listen over the next couple of days.

The optimist in me thought you said: "I'm definitely going to be giving these to Peter over the next couple of days..."

[Peter Power Pop]

Fabulous sonics maybe, but the cover art is ugly. Boult is sniffing his own name. Word "conducts" looks ridiculous. The colours are hidious, Holst must be sick since he is so green/yellow. Who designs these? 

I don't know who designs them, but that cover has been taken care of.

[Mirror Image]

The optimist in me thought you said: "I'm definitely going to be giving these to Peter over the next couple of days..."

[jfdrex]

Fabulous sonics maybe, but the cover art is ugly. Boult is sniffing his own name. Word "conducts" looks ridiculous. The colours are hidious, Holst must be sick since he is so green/yellow. Who designs these? 

We can only wonder what Sir Adrian thought of the cover of the Westminster Gold LP release of his recording of The Planets with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.



I was about 16 years old when I first saw this.  I know what I thought!  

[71 dB]

We can only wonder what Sir Adrian thought of the cover of the Westminster Gold LP release of his recording of The Planets with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

Yeah, that cover is really really really really... ...really really BAD!l      

[aukhawk]

James Judd / RPO was a highly regarded Planets when it was first released - don't think I've seen it mentioned in this thread? 
There's also Tomita of course ...

[Peter Power Pop]

James Judd / RPO was a highly regarded Planets when it was first released - don't think I've seen it mentioned in this thread?

I'll try to find that one. Thanks for mentioning it.

There's also Tomita of course ...

Er, I might give that one a miss.

[alkan]

Re-listened to Boult's Planets with the LPO on EMI and it is magnificent! I'm not sure what it is about this performance that's magical to me, but Boult is in complete control of the orchestra. He favors slower tempi in Mars, which makes it even more menacing IMHO and also in Jupiter, which gave me the chance to hear all those quicksilver string passages in the beginning of the movement with great clarity. Anyway, this is really a great performance and could it be I'm starting to come around to Boult? It's very possible!

I fully agree with you about Mars.     It is quite inexorable.    The power comes from the dynamic contrasts  and the remorseless build up of tension as the climaxes are approached.  It's like a slowly advancing steamroller.       Bernstein sounds positively hysterical by contrast, and thus loses all menace ...

This recording is my favourite.

[Karl Henning]

Of course, it is possible to be quick and clean.  But no need in any event to sacrifice accuracy for the cheap thrill of velocity.

[Karl Henning]

[...] Bernstein sounds positively hysterical by contrast, and thus loses all menace.

You've got me curious, though.  Do you mean the 30.xi.1971 NY Phil performance, or another?  Thanks!

[Ken B]

I fully agree with you about Mars.     It is quite inexorable.    The power comes from the dynamic contrasts  and the remorseless build up of tension as the climaxes are approached.  It's like a slowly advancing steamroller.       Bernstein sounds positively hysterical by contrast, and thus loses all menace ...

This recording is my favourite.

I like the steamroller image, and will try not to think of Austin Powers.    But yes, Mars as he comes should have time to look around, to see where you are hiding, as he advances. He isn't anger personified, but implacability.