Holst: The Planets

Gustav Holst (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Gustav Holst
• Audio CD (October 12, 1993)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GJW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,009 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Recording of The Planets?, June 10, 2006

By 

William Larson (Selma, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holst: The Planets (Audio CD)

From the juggernaut which is "Mars" to the ethereal sounds of "Neptune", this may well be the best version of Holst's ever popular score on CD.

Karajan and his Berlin forces present "Mars" as an awesomely terrifying war-machine, powerful and unstoppable. Their's is a sensual "Venus" with appropriately seductive playing by the strings. "Mercury" & "Jupiter" are expertly executed, but if you're looking for the "I Vow to thee my Country" melody to be done in the "sun-never-sets-on-the British-Empire" manner I suggest you try the recordings by Ormandy or Bernstein instead. (No, not even Boult is as "majestic" as they are!)
"Saturn" is cold and inevitable (though no one tops Dutoit in this movement) while "Uranus" is given a rowdy performance with a truly resplendent organ glissando. "Neptune" is otherworldly, even if the final fade-out doesn't linger as it should. And that may be my only complaint about this recording. The early digital engineering, while full sounding and detailed, displays some of the chilliness that marked some of DG's recordings of the early 1980's. (I'm auditioning from the original issue, perhaps the "Karajan Gold" edition has dampened the digital glare.)

I would not want to be without one of Sir Adrian Boult's authoritative accounts (preferably one of the stereo EMI recordings), nor would I give up Dutoit's magnificently recorded and colorfully fresh rendition. Not to mention Geoffrey Simon's fine account which is practically a steal on the super-budget LaserLight label! (But I did just mention it, didn't I?!)
But I think if I had to live with just one recording of Holst's wondrous work it most likely would be this magnificent account by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply astonishing!, August 29, 2000

By 

Pascal Tremblay (Québec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holst: The Planets (Audio CD)

I have read what other customers thought of that CD and I really appreciate the fact that everybody think different. For myself, I must admit that it is the best recording ever that I heard of The Planets of Gustav Holst. Though I did not heard all of them, I simply believe that Karajan's vision is one of the best. Some are saying that Karajan is a mediocre conductor, but I think he's just misunderstood. He knows how to give a powerful interpretation when needed (Mars, Jupiter) and a calm but solid one in other cases (Saturn). Severe he was and stubborn, but it worth the price. Like one of the reviewer here said, you must judge this recording with your ears and not with your logic. Boult, Bernstein, Gardiner, Simon and other great names can influence a critic, but that critic won't be reality. It is definitely one of the best recording of The Planets. In fact, Karajan is the one who conducts it the most similarly the way Holst did.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Precision, October 24, 2000

By 

James Sposto (Kutztown, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holst: The Planets (Audio CD)

I just received the Previn version of this piece for my birthday, and while listening to it needed to come straight here to purchase the Karajan version. I had the DG Karajan on vinyl and thought it to be incredibly precise and powerful. The Previn version seems sloppy in parts (or my mind doesn't agree with his interpretation of the rhythms of the piece.) With the Karajan version I'm swept into an emotional surge - the lightness I hear complained about - to ME is simply representative of the dynamic range of the piece. Start it soft, when it gets loud (on it's own) it will blow you out of your chair.