Customer Reviews

Bernstein Century: Holst: Planets; Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance

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No matter how many recordings of Gustav Holst's "The Planets" I buy or listen to, it is this recording I find myself coming back to time and time again. Every single one of the movements is done majestically and perfectly:

1) MARS (6:35) -- Played fast and relentlessly, this is one of the most intense and menacing pieces of music I've ever heard. From the slow buildup to it's awesome climax, it's executed flawlessly.

2) VENUS (9:32) -- Serene and peaceful, it is played at a lovely slow tempo with supporting strings (including cellos) and a sublime violin solo.

3) MERCURY (3:52) -- Light and fluttery as the winged Roman god himself, it is minimal and short, but has a strong bridge of violins to tie the piece together.

4) (My personal favorite) JUPITER (8:19) -- There is no way I can possibly describe how awesomely epic and stirring this track is. With jovian marches as its bookends, the central theme of this movement is the heart of the entire suite. It is done at a beautifully slow tempo, and is truly moving. The theme which preceded it overtakes it again and leads the piece to its grand conclusion.

5) SATURN (8:50) -- "The Bringer of Old Age", Saturn, the ringed planet, starts with two alternating strings, building to a powerfully strong and ominous version of the two chords. But once again the slow clockwork of time takes over and the piece dies out quietly.

6) URANUS (5:24) -- Played at a faster-than-traditional tempo, this track embodies chaos and mayhem. This piece uses unusual instruments such as xylophones, and sounds wonderfully unique.

7) NEPTUNE (8:30) -- Dark and mysterious as is the blue gas planet at the edge of the solar system, its ominous lower chords are lifted by a wordless chorus halfway through and ends with the voices getting fainter and fainter until you cannot distinguish the sound you're hearing from your own imagination.

This is a perfect recording of a timeless masterpiece.

***** Highly Recommended.

Bernstein's performance of "The Planets" is fairly standard, and while there are many remarkable moments (Saturn and Uranus stand out above the rest), his choice of tempos at some points is bizarre (Mars is way too fast, and lacks any real vitality or menace. If you like Mars at this faster tempo, Ormandy's recording with Philadelphia is much more menacing). If you are looking for a good recording of "The Planets," I would recommend Dutoit's performance with Montreal or the London Philharmonic conducted by Adrian Boult (the man who conducted the work's premiere) before this one.

Other reviewers give an excellent and detailed account of Gustav Holst's outstanding and highly imaginative symphonic journey through the solar system. I can only add this: I had previously owned other versions of "The Planets". I recemtly came across the Bernstein/NYPO version on an LP for $1 at a flea market. When I finally got around to playing the record over a year later, I was struck by Bernstein's ability to whip up such extreme power and majesty. He really unlocks the flavor.

Immediatly, I was moved to order the recording in more convenient CD form.

Comparisons: Boult, Karajan

I bought this on the strength of Bernstein's excellent work in west side story and his orchestral reputation. But the rhythms are not in sync! the notes are out of tune! Incredible. in the crucial start of Jupiter, perhaps the most sseminal moment of the recording, the strings are not quite together! Listen to Karajan's version, or Slatkin's one. Also the horns on this recording are not in tune all the time?! I have listened to this recording for years and years, played orchestral music many times, and something is missing here. But this is a great piece of music, don't avoid it because of this recording. I just want to make sure no one wastes the money like I did.

This CD has Holst's compositions on "The Planets" along with "Pomp and Circumstance" by Elgar. It is conducted by the great conductor Leonard Bernstein.

The most famous part of the set is "Mars". This piece is hugely influential with tons of movies using a similar sounding piece of music for war scenes (example: the galley and Roman naval battle scene in Ben Hur. "Mars" conveys images of Roman soldiers arming themselves and going to war with the sound of trumpets and drums. The melody is so powerful that it intimidates the listener.

The other famous piece is "Jupiter". It is very moving.

One of my other favorite parts of the Planets is the part about Mercury. It is very charming and magical. It conveys an image of the messenger god flying around quickly to deliver messages.

The last part about Neptune is very mystical. The theme is the sea and it displays an underwater world where the matters of our Earth mean nothing.

The final composition on this CD, "Pomp and Circumstance" by Elgar is recognizable to us as the music that is played in graduation ceremonies at high schools and colleges. The only issue I have with this composition is that it brings back painful memories of getting bad grades in high school. It is nevertheless an outstanding piece of music that is very moving.

This is my absolute favorite PLANETS recordings. The best movement would have to be Mercury, and following that would be Uranus. Of course, the other movements are also the best of all other recordings I've heard. You can't go wrong with this CD!

I mainly listen to Holst, but I liked Elgar on this CD, too. If you've never listed to Planets you missed out on a whole new world of music. I always felt Holst was a very visual composer, and this is no exception. The recordings are good, and I liked the way they did Jupitor. A good buy.