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I'm not a big classical music fan - I love all types of music. All of them are great especially "Mars" and "Jupiter" which are my favorites. However, I love to listen to this symphony, suite, whatever (not 100% on the music term). When I was a kid, these songs were so ubiquitous, they were the bumper songs on the 6 & 10:00 news of two different local TV stations. I've probably listened to this on 8-track, cassette, and DVD hundreds of time. Good Stuff.
Haven't heard Zubin Mehta's performance (I do like his work), but Holst's The Planets is a truly satisfying & inspiring listening experience.I've only heard it live once - at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony / Edo de Waart(). in the mid-late 1990s. Very impressive. It seemed to me I could almost touch the music in 'the air' (so to speak).So, without having heard this orchestra's performance, I do recommend it.
I caught some production errors in tracks. I was a bit surprised what the mixer thought he could get away with. It sounded like microphones from different sections are exchanged in the middle of one of the Planet pieces. It's pretty evident to a trained ear; however, I don't suspect most people will notice it. In anycase I can't give it a glowing 5 like other reviewers. But for the price, one can't complain too much.
I think there are a few other issues of this and on one it comes coupled with a selection from Star Wars. As far as interpretation and playing this isn't a bad version of the "Planets" but the sound quality is very thin sounding. It might have better sound quality but I'm not exactly sure since I've never owned that particular issue. Maybe the ambient surround imaging isn't a very good recording technique. I would say that of all the recordings of this work this would be in the middle of the pack. I think you should try Karajan's two recordings or Levine, Dutoit, and maybe Gardiner for this great work. Karajan's 1981 DG version is my particular favorite and has a very powerful and menacing "Mars" and a very beautiful and lovely "Jupiter" movement.
If "Mars" is a bible for amazing action writing then "Venus" would be a bible for dramatic scenes. A CD is great and all but nothing beats the real thing. It's truly beautiful and inspired writing. There is a peace and gentleness that Holst evokes throughout the piece either with the celli or the oboes that just makes your heart ache. It's a more mature and gentle that gets angry and starts yelling with the brass halfway through only to be quited again.
"Mercury, the Winged Messenger" is probably the most comical of bunch and starts with the woodwinds and pizzicato and bowed strings flying all around to create an amazing sense of light hearted fun. "Saturn, the bringer of Old Age" is reported to have been Holst's favorite of the Planet suites. The whole piece is a light and bouncy one with a quick tempo that is appropriate for picturing Mercury flying around the stars or dancing around like a ballerina. A really great suite and a great way to end a magnificent tribute to the planets. They're not just there for flavor or color but to add depth to this intense piece of music.
For aspiring composers all over the world that wanted to know the proper way to score action, comedy, wonder, and romance, they'd need not look any further than Holst's symphony for the planets. A very powerful and bombastic suite. Of all the pieces this was one I wish I could have had insight from Holst as to his thought process on this unique suite that he loved so much. The jollity does come back again before the suite ends and makes for the most light hearted one of the suites as well as one of the most touching. I like to picture kids playing and adults relaxing by the beach as I listen to this. It's a piece meant to be jolly like the name implies and it delivers in full abundance.
Almost like music to a little butterfly flying around. The solo violin also gets a chance to shine on the album playing a very sympathetic tune. The orchestration on this one is indeed something else as one second you'll be listening to the orchestra pounding in your ear then moments after it goes all quite and you hear low winds and strings playing the main melody in a creepy way. The weirdest of the suites."Neptune, the Mystic" is my personal favorite of all the suites. "Uranus, the Magician" begins with a loud dramatic brass motif followed by some intense timpani hits which then disappears as this almost comical melody for the magician begins. The most somber of the suites. A very nice calming suite to relax to after the orchestral assault that is "Mars". Whiles "Neptune" is my overall favorite I do love the choppy strings and winds that open "Jupiter".
A mysterious piece that creates a sense of wonder and awe. Pretty much almost every composer scoring films today draws some influence from his magnificent suites and for good reason, this is highly impressive work."Mars, the bringer of War" starts the suite with it's infamous 5/4 rhythm which is quiet at first then quickly builds into sheer orchestral power which is more than appropriate since it is for a god of war, but despite it's power being generated primarily by brass and percussion Holst still finds time to squeeze in woodwinds and give them interesting things to play. It ends with the brass motif being stated again only to quietly fade away into the dark. It's certainly a very energetic suite that maintains very busy and very fun to listen to. Don't know what made Holst change from the jolly music to the dramatic one halfway through but it is very beautiful to listen to. The first few bars just capture the imagination and that feeling of wonderment is never let go throughout the whole suite. I hope to someday catch an orchestra playing this symphony live so I can hear it person. "Venus, the bringer of Peace" lives up to it's name by being one of the quieter suites on the album.
The choir almost sounds alien, like a theremin infact which shows what a great mind Holst was. A very fun suite"Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity" has my favorite opening moments the whole suite. The jolly treatment soon fades away to give way for the celli and horns to play what is quite simply one of the finest pieces of calming music I've ever heard. There is a fluid and very natural element to the suite that I really love and when the female choir joins it just makes for an amazing listening experience. An astounding symphony of what the orchestra is capable of doing and showcasing the diverse and creative mind that belonged to the great Gustav HolstHIGHEST OF RECOMMENDATIONS
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