Customer Reviews

Holst: The Planets

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was my first recording of "The Planets" when it was issued in the early 1970's on LP. I've been waiting for its re-issue on CD and was pleased to find it at budget price in the Eloquence series. Zubin Mehta brings youthful energy to the music, without going overboard, and the LA Philharmonic plays with style and class. The sound on LP was always excellent, typical of London/Decca engineering, and it sounds just as good in the remastering; there is some marginal tape hiss but nothing intrusive. For this price, it's a performance that's well worth adding to your collection, even if you already have another recording of the piece, just to hear Mehta's reading of the score.

Holst's "The Planets" ranks among my favourite classical pieces ever and this version by Mehta and the LA Philharmonic is the best version I've heard. In addition, the sound quality is quite good given the age of the recording and the fact that it comes from an analogue original source and so I can only imagine how much better this would be if it ever gets a remastering job from the best master tapes in Decca's vault.

Another reason why this cd deserves 5 stars is the fact that you get John Williams' "Close Encounters of the Third Kind Suite" and the "Star Wars Main Title" tracks here as well. It's just a stroke of inspiration putting these similarly-themed pieces on one disc.

Probably the best version of "The Planets" overall that you can get out there and at an unbelievably low price. Great value, good sound, great track selections.

Highly recommended.

At this price, this is a must have, this CD is excellent.

This CD were recorded with Surround System. In Home Cinema Systems or a Superb Stereo Systems, this recording can be played with excellent results.

As you know, "The Planets" is most famous and Most beatiful work by Holst. Supposing that, this is a film music. This Suite to take form in 7 movements. There isn't a Pluto movement, because, this planet was discovered in 30's (one or two years before Holst's death). And, in 1999, Colin Matthews written a new movement to named "Pluto, The Renewer" addition to suite's last movement "Neptune, The Mystic"...(Recording of this work is avaliable on Naxos conducted by David Lloyd - Jones)

And the performance is amazing. Perhaps, this is the best recording of Zubin Mehta with Los Angeles PO. Especially, the brass ensemble is terrific in Mars and Uranus movements. And Offstage Women's Chorus is very impressive in Neptune. Still this movement is very very impressive...

Highly recommended.

Zubin Mehta's version of the planets suffers somewhat from uneven pace. Mars and Mercury seem a bit rushed. By contrast, Saturn, the bringer of old age, is dramatically effective while being markedly a different pace. At 9:56, it's a bit slow. Previn clocks Saturn at 9:08, Bernstein at 8:53, and Maazel at 8:34. But Mehta is comparable to Karajan and Dutoit in his orbit of Saturn.

The sound is generally bright, and shows considerable detail. The range is a tad much. One ends up twiddling the volume between the soft and loud passages; not good. The difference between drama and volume is one that the sound engineers didn't fully comprehend.

There's bonus tracks of John Williams "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the "Star Wars." Close Encounters is a but a rung above a TV sci-fi theme, but Star Wars, as always, is stirring, and generally well done by Zehta. These themes inclusion makes the point of The Planets impression on Williams as a composer. Worth noting that the sound balance on Star Wars is noticeably better than the Planets.

Overall, a fine presentation, with caveats to pacing and balance.

Very good recording of The Planets. I like it even better than the Sir Alexander Gibson recording, although that was my previous favorite. This piece needs to be played dynamically, and Mehta certainly does that. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a certain amount of bombast and a decent workout for their woofers.

THE PLANETS is one of those classics that count zillions of different versions in the catalogue. Here we can hear conductor Metha's superbly and eloquently displayed interpretive insights into one of England's jewels of music. The sound is massive and detailed, with a good dose of those fortissimos that'll garantee a big bang for your bucks. I am impressed by those superlative percussions---a department where the L.A.Philharmonic is quite confident and particularly strong. In my opinion, the strings do not possess that 'edge' in phrasing and that 'little boost' in ethereal quality that, say, possess the RLPO version with Makerras or the excellent RPO with Previn. But then, Metha's straight-ahead performance is very solid and has several great moments---such as the entry ('Mars') that pushes the work's potential to its limits. And if I was less impressed by 'Venus', the last movements, especially 'Uranus' and 'Neptune', are build with glorious radiance and sonorous bravoura! And there's the sound : Metha's is justifiably one of the great recordings (and perhaps the greatest) this work of genius has received. The couplings, 'Close Encounters' and 'Star Wars', are well-suited because 'The Planets', although it isnt, sounds much like sci-fi music. On that matter, you will not be surprised to hear the Metha/LA 'Planets' treated almost like a soundtrack or some kind of sci-fi music (!). Question of interpretation solely, the Metha/LA is surpassed either by the composer's own historic recordings or by Sir Adrian Boult's vintage versions. The Previn's (Telarc and, especially, EMI) are both very good as well but do not quite possess the bloom and zest of the Metha (though for the winds and strings of 'Venus' I definately prefer Previn). Question of sound AND interpretation, overall, Zubin Metha's L.A. Philharmonic's 'Planets' is the greatest zing around ; Decca's superb engineering (then) and transfer-to-cd (now) have kept alive one of L.A.'s best kept secrets in orchestral music. 'Go, gettem : L.A. rules!'

If you like Awesome Low Brass this is one of the greatest Low Brass sections ever assembled, with Roger Bobo as the Foundation! Yes, the one and only Bobo! This Beast Growls!!! Along with the Passion of Mehta Conducting, you can't go wrong for Under $8. A must have for Low Brass Nerds! So smoke em if you got em, turn the lava lamp on, and be prepared to be Amazed!

Here are my Favorite Highlights (Times are approximate so try to start at the beginning of a phrase, some are just one note blasts)

Mars-1:18, 3:05, 4:20(My.#1.Pick), 5:35, 6:06, 6:40
Jupiter-0:15,1:40, 2:20, 7:18
Saturn-5:09, 5:43
Uranus-0:13, 0:38, 1:24, 2:19, 4:00, 4:48, 4:59

This is the fourth recording of "The Planets" I've purchased, and I am extremely pleased. The Los Angeles Philharmonic was at its best here, and much of that was owed to the genius of its then director Zubin Mehta. Crisp arrangements, and a full orchestral sound is how you achieve the full effect of "The Planets." Other conductors should take note. Not my favorite, that honor still goes to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the leadership of Leopold Stokowski. But you definitely can't go wrong with this one.

This is an exquisite performance by Zubin Mehta with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta captures the gregariousness and robustness of the booming sections as well as the quiet subtleness of the more sanguine sections supremely well, better I feel than any other recording of this work.

As you listen to first "The Planets" and then to the "Star Wars" music, it will become clear that John Williams was heavily influenced by Holst while he composed his work for the Star Wars movies. One can hear there the same dramatic effects that Holst incorporates thoughout his orchestration.

Overall, a very solid, very expressive, and very enjoyable interpretation of a classic work.

I'm a casual listener of movie soundtracks and classical music, but I've listened to hundreds of albums. The Planets is up there with the best. It's such a rich, wonderful listening experience. As other reviewers have noted, it makes great use of a rumbling bass, but never overdoes it. It's epic in quality, but is calm enough to have on in the background while you're working or resting. This CD will stay in my player for quite some time to come.