Shirley Apthorp reviewed the premieres in the Financial Times (21st March 2006): "Rattle conducts the [Planets] suite with uncritical gusto, letting the orchestra’s lush sheen show... This audacious project is carried by Rattle’s flair, and nurtured with the optimal conditions needed to give new works a wider orbit. Watch the musical skies near you for further sightings of these rocky bodies"
“…a magisterial performance, closely attentive to detail, in which the continental influences are highlighted as never before… The climax of 'Uranus' is a thriller: a massive build-up, with the famous organ glissando not spotlighted but spreading a great cloud of atmospherics in its wake. Rattle also makes the best case yet for Colin Matthews's 'extra' planet 'Pluto'.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2006 *****
BBC Music Magazine