Search - Gustav Holst, London Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra of New York :: Gustav Holst Conducts The Planets

Historically important, but you'll need another version too

Paul E. Harrison | Stuart, FL | 02/15/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sadly the audio quality is abysmal on this recording of Holst conducting Holst, with some instruments barely being audible, and others sounding like they've been played through a sheet of tracing paper, with crackle and occasionally even scratch-like pulses adding to the assault.All of which is unfortunate, because from what I could hear, Holst's style is significantly different in many areas from that of most versions I've heard. It will be of interest to any serious fan of The Planets, and it's worth listening to once to get a sense of what Holst intended his music to sound like. But it's not a real alternative to a recent recording, and shouldn't be treated as such."

Unique Authenticity, Despite Poor Sound

Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 05/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Be warned: this 1923 acoustic recording of the composer conducting his masterpiece "The Planets" (1914-1916) has poor sound and rather amateurish orchestral playing. But if you love this work, you owe it to yourself to hear this utterly extraordinary performance. I feel it takes us deeper into the strange world of Holst's imagination than any other recorded version, including the composer's later (1926) electrical recording. The latter performance - a lacklustre reading in only slightly better sound - was formerly available on an EMI CD in that label's "Composers In Person" series. I have kept my copy of the EMI only because of the coupling: Elgar's 1926 performance of the Enigma Variations (fascinating!). Holst's 2nd Planets also appeared on a deleted Koch CD in slightly better sound, coupled with Vaughan Williams conducting his own 4th Symphony (for me, the work's greatest-ever reading). I disposed of the Koch when the Vaughan Williams appeared in a better re-mastering on a Dutton CD (coupled with Barbirolli's 1st recording of Elgar's 5th).



What makes Holst's acoustic version so special? Sheer energy, for one thing. Holst's players may not hit all the notes correctly, but they play like inspired madmen. Mars is fast and incredibly menacing: in both his versions, Holst clocks in at the same 6:18 (Steinberg's brilliant reading on DG, often criticised for being too fast, comes in at 6:43). Just listen to the huge swells in the orchestra starting at 3:00 - it's like being in the middle of "The Perfect Storm." The violins play with absolutely no vibrato, creating an atmosphere that's aptly out of this world. The portamento-laden Venus is unlike any other performance, with very piquantly played winds. Mercury is rendered with a Mendelssohnian lightness that is un-matched by anyone since. And so on throughout: each episode is rendered with sharply rhythmic inflection and highly characterized melodies (even Boult sounds slightly unidiomatic after hearing Holst's way with Jupiter).



All the other items on this disc demonstrate the same attention to accentuated rhythms and distinctive characterization. Frankly, the St. Paul's Suite (with its echoes of Bartok!) and Beni Mora here are quite simply the most hypnotic accounts in my experience.



My favorite account of "The Planets" in stereo is Steinberg's with the Boston Symphony (DG). I'm also fond of the Stokowski "live" account with the NBC Symphony (Cala). The original two-piano version is a fascinating supplement. It can be heard in an excellent performance by Richard Rodney Bennett and Susan Bradshaw (Delos CD).



"The Planets" was an incredibly influential score. You can't listen to Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite," Herrmann's film score for "Day The Earth Stood Still," Goldsmith's music for "Alien," or any of the John Williams "Star Wars" movies without hearing echoes of Holst. But even if you think you already know "The Planets," you may find that this ancient recording is like meeting Holst's masterpiece for the first time.



Very highly recommended.











"

Don't be so quick to judge the "poor" sound quality

Dan K | 09/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, this WAS recorded a long time ago in the days of the "less sophisticated" sound equiptment. But I actually think that this is for the better. There are two main reasons This review is long, so if you don't want to read it all, cut to the second reason:



For one thing, it sounds more like an orchestra playing. We are in a day where the digital sound is so precise, that we are not listening to perforers anymore. We are hearing performers being digitally altered on a computer. This raw sound has much more livelyness to it. On top of that, these guys really play with a lot of spirit.



But more importantly, the older recording equiptment is an improvement because it forces the orchestra to play loud enough. Too often, orchestras overdue the dynamic of soft. There is nothing wrong with playing softer, but when it is so soft that it can't be heard, than there is no point in it. This equiptment is so old that it will not pick up sounds that are too soft. Therefore, in order to be picked up, the orchestra is forced to play louder than they would have liked to. All the more better for us. This is the first version of the planets where I have actually been able to hear the majority of Neptune and Venus and not just little blurbs from them.



Oh yeah, one more thing. It is one of the most wonderfully composed pieces of classical music out there. It is one of the essentials of a classical music collection. So even if you don't get this particular recording, I would still recommend the Planets. And yes, I didn't proof read, there are probably typos."