[Duggeh]

My favourite of the versions I have is Sir Colin Davies/LSO.

Amazon.com: Holst: The Planets: Gustav Holst, Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra: Music

It isn't the last word in fidelity. But something in it grabs me more than the couple of other versions I have.


I own the Karajan Beethoven box and would enjoy hearing his turn with Holst.

 

[neddamttocs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif My favourite of the versions I have is Sir Colin Davies/LSO.

This is also my favourite recording for The Planets

 

[MD1032]

Anyone familiar with this one?

Amazon.com: Gustav Holst: The Planets, Op 32: Gustav Holst, André Previn, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Music

I bought it because it had the Telarc label. It's decent, IMO. I'll have to try the Berlin phil one, though.

 

[moogman]

I rather enjoyed the Simon Rattle / BPO version, though the extras left a bit to be desired. Current favourite is Scottish National Orchestra & City of London Sinfonia with Richard Hickox and Sir Alexander Gibson on Chandos.

Have to say I rather like the Tomita version. Much better than the awful other synth version - Beyond the Planets by Jeff Wayne, Rick Wakeman and others who should've known better.

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have to say I rather like the Tomita version. Much better than the awful other synth version - Beyond the Planets by Jeff Wayne, Rick Wakeman and others who should've known better.

Tomita should be required listening for every classical music-fan with a sense of humour. And not just in The Planets either.

Of the versions I own I love both Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy (RCA, 1975) and BPO/Karajan (DG, 1981). Unfortunately both are plagued by sub-par recording, the first painfully bright, the second suffering from early '80s digititis.

 

[mbhaub]

It surprises me that as popular as The Planets is, and how demanding it is of a recording, that there isn't an SACD or HDCD version, or did I miss one? Anyway, on a recent trip to Houston I picked up a knockout Blu Ray set with the Houston Symphony accompanying the expected photos of real planets and such. Great performance, great sound. I think it's on the Houston Symphony web site.

 

[Zaroff]

I second the Previn / RPO with Telarc.

It's recorded at very low levels and lacks punch overall, but IMO it ranks with the best out there.

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhaub /img/forum/go_quote.gif It surprises me that as popular as The Planets is, and how demanding it is of a recording, that there isn't an SACD or HDCD version, or did I miss one? Anyway, on a recent trip to Houston I picked up a knockout Blu Ray set with the Houston Symphony accompanying the expected photos of real planets and such. Great performance, great sound. I think it's on the Houston Symphony web site.

Google is your friend.

 

[earthpeople]

I have the Previn & RPO as well. I think it's very enjoyable and I prefer it to some of the others I've heard.

I'll have to look into some of the other ones mentioned here though.

 

[Jubei]

The Gardiner disc I have is a hybrid SACD.

 

[Scot1970]

Have you heard Sir Charles Groves' recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra? I have versions by Judd, Dutoit, Lloyd-Jones, Bernstein (NYPO), Levine, Gardiner and Steinberg (can you tell that I like The Planets??) However, Groves does it for me. It's slipped under the radar, which is a pity because it is a full-blooded performance with a rich and detailed recording to match - giving a realistic and more natural perspective. This means you won't have the artificially closely mixed trombones of the Dutoit version (thrilling, the repeat of the main Mars theme might be) but you get a darker, more menacing Mars from Groves because he plays it like the gradual awakening of an unfeasibly large beast, growling and building up to a terrifying climax. Groves' Jupiter has the most ebullient, fat and fruity horns I've heard anywhere. Believe it or not, this CD was only £3 on Amazon, yet it was performed by a lauded British conductor who had Holst in his blood and recorded and produced by Brian Culverhouse in Watford Town hall, a renowned acoustic for large orchestral pieces. You can hear Groves' Planets here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUTByW8NElo&list=PL0AE2BE2489B2536B

 

[Scot1970]

Oops. Groves' recording is no longer £3. Amazon is now selling it for £9. Btw, I wrote a review of this recording on Amazon. Oh, I forgot to add that I also have Boult's 1970s recording on EMI, although I've never been too gripped by that recording, even though his early 70s Enigma - which is paired with his Planets on EMI's Great recordings of the Century release - is absolutely spot-on!

 

[analogsurviver]

I second first 1961 Karajan version with VPO on Decca http://www.amazon.com/Holst-Planets-Strauss-Don-Juan/product-reviews/B000KQGOA4/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 ( on vinyl )  - and I am anything but Karajan fan.
 
There are other good recordings available, yet Saturn here strucks such a soft spot in me it will remain premium selection - for good. It may well be joined by few already existing recordings and future ones as they become available, but never displaced.

 

[tgabe9]

Just as far as comparing orchestral recordings go, I have been finding that frequently the only thing attracting me to one recording of a piece over another is the way the orchestra's sound concept expresses the music. For example, as much as I love the Solti/CSO Mahler recordings, I would not so much want to listen to their Mozart recordings, unless I was doing so to see how the performance of Mozart has evolved over time. For something like Mozart, I would turn to a historically-informed period instrument group because I feel that their approach to ensemble and sound quality is more effective in the expression of a Mozart symphony.