Holst: The Planets, Op. 32

Heritage presents vintage Boult performances of Holst and Bax, transferred from vinyl with extraordinary results by former EMI engineer, Gary Moore. The 1954 recording of the planets comes from a Nixa LP (NPL 903) and The Perfect Fool and Tintagel were recorded a year later for Decca (LXT 5015).

This is a very different version of such a famous orchestral work. This CD is a continuation of the Oehms Classics series of organ transcriptions. Hansjörg Albrecht plays the work on the St. Nikolai Organ in Kiel. The SACD recording gives a superb sound.

Sony Classical ORIGINALS offer listeners outstanding enjoyment, authentically recapturing the fascination of legendary recordings from the age of long-playing records and preserving worthwhile releases from two labels with particularly long and distinguished traditions: RCA Red Seal and Columbia Masterworks. These superb recordings by great artists have enjoyed international acclaim ever since they were first released. Showered with critical plaudits, they are part of the 20th century’s cultural legacy. All have been remastered and carefully restored using the latest studio technology in order to reproduce the original interpretations as faithfully as possible. The CD covers are taken over from the original LPs. The original introductions and LP labels are also reproduced in full, making Sony Classical ORIGINALS unique documents in the history of recorded sound.

Featuring original LP cover artwork in full size and reproduction of original labels in mini LP design.

Contains original liner notes in 3 languages (English, French and German) Jewel case packaging with fully coloured booklets.

The Sony Classical Originals bring together for the first time at the Mid Price the greatest recordings from across all of the labels which are part of the Sony Classical umbrella, and are a perfect starting point for any classical collector.

That The Planets occupies a place at the heart of the English musical repertoire is indisputable, yet much of Holst’s orchestral output is unjustly neglected. Chandos’ series demonstrates that Holst was a composer whose inventiveness and originality was not limited to one work. The series was originally to be conducted by Richard Hickox who sadly passed away in 2009 after completing Volume 1, released to great critical acclaim. Gramophone stated that ‘Richard Hickox’s final project, reviving little-known Holst works, is a triumph’. In this second volume, exclusive Chandos artist Sir Andrew Davis has taken the baton, conducting the BBC Philharmonic in a unique programme: The Planets, Holst’s orchestral tour de force, as well as two comparative rarities in the concert hall, the Japanese Suite and Beni Mora.

Holst wrote all three works between 1909 and 1916, years which span the most important developments in his composing life as he moved away from the Wagner-influenced works of his youth. He had already begun to absorb English folk music, largely through the influences of his close friend Vaughan Williams, and that, together with his study of Sanskrit literature, led him to experiment with new and unique fusions in his music.

The Japanese Suite was originally intended for dancing, and composed at the request of a Japanese dancer, Michio Ito, who supplied Holst with most of the themes in a somewhat unorthodox manner – by whistling them to him. Although the music may seem as characteristic of Holst himself as of anything readily identifiable as Japanese, this work clearly demonstrates a refreshing openness to new influences, which few of his contemporaries shared.

Beni Mora is inspired by ethnic music that Holst heard on a trip to Algeria. Its orientalism may seem very westernised to those familiar with the original music, but it reflects his own experiences of the place – ‘a mix of East and West where one moment he saw an Arab woman leaving a mosque and another moment he saw an advertisement for American Cinematography’. The work was premiered in London in 1912, to the distaste of one critic who exclaimed, ‘We didn’t ask for Biskra girls’. Vaughan Williams later wrote that if the piece had been played in Paris instead of London, Holst would have gained fame a good ten years before The Planets made him a household name. One of the more remarkable musical points about the piece is found in the third movement, which is based on a motif played by a bamboo flutist whom Holst heard on the streets in Algeria. The flutist played the same four notes for hours. This experience is vividly recalled in the movement, yet the mastery of Holst's harmonic texture prevents the motif from becoming tiresome. Beni Mora is regarded as Holst’s first mature orchestral piece.

The immense popularity of The Planets, and the familiarity of the music, means that its originality is often overlooked. But while it is possible to point to a number of contemporary works which clearly had an influence on Holst (Debussy’s Nocturnes, Stravinsky’s The Firebird etc.), the sheer inventiveness and diversity of the music are entirely his own, as he takes us on an unforgettable journey from the violence of ‘Mars’, through the serene calm of ‘Venus’ and the remote and otherworldly ‘Neptune’.

Gustav Holst’s ‘Suite for Large Orchestra’ known as The Planets was premiered in 1918. The rapturous reception ensured the fame of its composer. It is the only work of Holst to enter the international repertoire, which is a great pity, for this composer wrote many works of equal stature to The Planets.

The Planets shows Holst to be perfectly attuned to contemporary music of the time. The influence of Stravinsky’s ballets The Firebird and The Rite of Spring can be detected in ‘Mercury’ and ‘Mars’; Ravel and Schoenberg can be glimpsed in other places. This is not to say that Holst hadn’t created a unique style. The Planets, Egdon Heath, Savitri, and The Perfect Fool all show him to have one of the most distinct voices among 20th-century composers.

The Planets is one of the most famous orchestral works of the last 100 years, and has influenced many a soundtrack composer tasked with a sci-fi score!

‘Ozawa’s interpretation of The Planets is assuredly not in the Boult tradition, but brings a fresh approach to Holst’s sole excursion into extravagance. Tempos are not those to which we are accustomed: “Mars” brings war at record speed and “Mercury” is a more leisurely winged messenger than usual. Both “Venus” and “Jupiter” are presented more conventionally and are finely played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra … it is stimulating to encounter a fresh mind at work on the music.’ Gramophone, JUNE 1987

Recording made in 1980

Booklet notes