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Track Listings
| 1. Walt Whitman Overture, Op. 7, H42 |
| 2. Symphony in F major, Op. 8, H47 The Cotswolds |
| 3. A Winter Idyll, H31 |
| 4. Japanese Suite, Op. 33, H126 |
| 5. Indra Symphonic Poem, Op. 13, H66 |
Product Description
Review
There's so much British music around this summer, but here's some you won't have heard unless you are a Holst anorak. The Cotswold Symphony was written not long after his student days, and has echoes of Elgar and Schumann. **** --The Times, 2nd June 2012
This CD continues a tradition of U.S musicians giving first-rate performances of Holst's music. With the Ulster Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta conducts a programme of mainly early Holst, including the attractive Symphony in F, The Cotswolds. All are splendidly played and interpreted. **** --Daily Mail, 8th June 2012
There are three remaining rarities. The Walt Whitman Overture is indebted to Brahms's Second Symphony. The Cotswolds Symphony includes a powerful, Wagnerian Elegy: In Memoriam William Morris, framed by a rather flimsy first movement, a jolly Scherzo and a banal Finale. --BBC Music Magazine, July 2012
**** --The Daily Telegraph, 30th June 2012
**** --The Guardian, 6th July 2012
'the work is beautifully performed here, most notably the delicate, crystalline sounds of celesta, harp, woodwind and horn.' --Gramophone. Jeremy Dibble, August 2012
**** --The Guardian, 6th July 2012
This CD continues a tradition of U.S musicians giving first-rate performances of Holst's music. With the Ulster Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta conducts a programme of mainly early Holst, including the attractive Symphony in F, The Cotswolds. All are splendidly played and interpreted. **** --Daily Mail, 8th June 2012
There are three remaining rarities. The Walt Whitman Overture is indebted to Brahms's Second Symphony. The Cotswolds Symphony includes a powerful, Wagnerian Elegy: In Memoriam William Morris, framed by a rather flimsy first movement, a jolly Scherzo and a banal Finale. --BBC Music Magazine, July 2012
**** --The Daily Telegraph, 30th June 2012
**** --The Guardian, 6th July 2012
'the work is beautifully performed here, most notably the delicate, crystalline sounds of celesta, harp, woodwind and horn.' --Gramophone. Jeremy Dibble, August 2012
**** --The Guardian, 6th July 2012
Product Description
Walt Whitman, ouverture, op.7 - Symphonie, op. 8 "The Cotswolds" - A Winter Idyll, H31 - Japanese Suite, op.33 - Indra, op.13 / Ulster Orchestra - JoAnn Falletta, direction
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an interesting collection of what will be to most of us lesser-known Holst. The Whitman overture which opens the CD is pleasant enough; maybe I was expecting something with a bit more depth, and the Cotswolds Symphony is an enjoyable piece, easy to listen to, with a darker slow movement. The Japanese Suite is highly enjoyable, Holst's orchestration reminding us of his Planets Suite. But the piece I found profoundly satisfying on this disc was 'Indra'; Holst was influenced by the poetry and philosophy of India and wrote 'Savitri', based on Indian poetry and also 'Hymns from the Rig Veda' (which are available on an Eloquence re-issue of an Argo recording). Indra is an Indian God, and Holst's music evokes something powerful, it's a piece quite different from the preceding works on the CD and I have returned to this a number of times.
The playing by the Ulster Orchestra is excellent, and JoAnn Falletta is clearly in total sympathy with the music. I must mention too the really excellent sound quality the Naxos team of Tim Handley and Phil Rowlands have given us; plenty of space and depth to the sound, a relief after hearing so many dry, close-miked recordings these days.
All credit to Naxos for making more fine British music recordings which would have been made by EMI and Decca, when those companies mattered.
Recommended.
The playing by the Ulster Orchestra is excellent, and JoAnn Falletta is clearly in total sympathy with the music. I must mention too the really excellent sound quality the Naxos team of Tim Handley and Phil Rowlands have given us; plenty of space and depth to the sound, a relief after hearing so many dry, close-miked recordings these days.
All credit to Naxos for making more fine British music recordings which would have been made by EMI and Decca, when those companies mattered.
Recommended.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This enjoyable release, superlatively played by the Ulster Orchestra under a conductor who is (in my opinion) one of the finest working today, wins another gold star for Naxos's adventurous recording policy - not to mention the company's sheer excellence in recording quality (here under producer Tim Handley). Where would we be without Naxos?
Coming to the music, apart from the spare, mysterious yet masterfully orchestrated Japanese Suite Op.33, none of it is mature Holst. Yet all of it is of interest, for itself as much as for Holst aficionados, and much of it lodges in the memory. This isn't the first-ever complete recording of the 'Cotswolds Symphony' Op.8, but it is far and away the best, making musical sense to a degree which should lead us to revalue the work's merit: after a rather perfunctory first movement, the three which follow (the slow movement, a Wagnerian 'Elegy to William Morris', counterweighted by a pristine, breezy scherzo and warmly melodic allegro-finale) are increasingly substantial. We can almost hear the young composer finding his audible feet - to mix my metaphors thoroughly!
The 'Walt Whitman Overture' and 'Winter Idyll' are even earlier works, but in their briefer compass even more assured than the Symphony. Most substantial of all the romantic early works here is the Symphonic Poem 'Indra', one of the first of Holst's Hindu-inspired works, and with its sweeping grandeur and evocative atmosphere not the least memorable of them.
The 'Japanese Suite' itself was beautifully done on a Lyrita recording by Sir Adrian Boult in the 1970's, but if anything JoAnn Falletta makes it hang together better than her masterly predecessor: it sounds more substantial, closer to the mystic-beautiful world of 'The Planets' than in Boult's sparer version.
Don't hesitate - there's over an hour here of thoroughly absorbing music, much of which significantly extends our appreciation of perhaps our still most underrated Great British Composer.
Coming to the music, apart from the spare, mysterious yet masterfully orchestrated Japanese Suite Op.33, none of it is mature Holst. Yet all of it is of interest, for itself as much as for Holst aficionados, and much of it lodges in the memory. This isn't the first-ever complete recording of the 'Cotswolds Symphony' Op.8, but it is far and away the best, making musical sense to a degree which should lead us to revalue the work's merit: after a rather perfunctory first movement, the three which follow (the slow movement, a Wagnerian 'Elegy to William Morris', counterweighted by a pristine, breezy scherzo and warmly melodic allegro-finale) are increasingly substantial. We can almost hear the young composer finding his audible feet - to mix my metaphors thoroughly!
The 'Walt Whitman Overture' and 'Winter Idyll' are even earlier works, but in their briefer compass even more assured than the Symphony. Most substantial of all the romantic early works here is the Symphonic Poem 'Indra', one of the first of Holst's Hindu-inspired works, and with its sweeping grandeur and evocative atmosphere not the least memorable of them.
The 'Japanese Suite' itself was beautifully done on a Lyrita recording by Sir Adrian Boult in the 1970's, but if anything JoAnn Falletta makes it hang together better than her masterly predecessor: it sounds more substantial, closer to the mystic-beautiful world of 'The Planets' than in Boult's sparer version.
Don't hesitate - there's over an hour here of thoroughly absorbing music, much of which significantly extends our appreciation of perhaps our still most underrated Great British Composer.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By M. C. PETER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Holst's other works are perhaps more widely known than the Cotswolds Symphony, one of his rarely performed pieces. The cover photo presents an idyllic scene which should go some way to attracting a wider audience and it is one of the reasons people pick up and buy CDs such as this. No harm in that. The other items on this CD also deserve attention, particularly so the Walt Whitman Overture: a lesson in technique. Technically this is a very good recording and the musical direction of the Ulster Orchestra is a joy to listen to. Well worth the recommendation and bought from Amazon UK.
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Early Holst
There has been a recording of the Cotswolds Symphony before by Munich Symphony Orchestra and Douglas Bostock for the Classico, however I have always thought it one of the least... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Stuart Sillitoe
2.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Music
I bought this because of some of the reviews I had read in various magazines and to be honest although the music is nice, not top drawer Holst maybe, I found the tuning of the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Music Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not the Planets.
Holst is so much more than 'The Planet Suite'. I have many other Holst CDs and this is a well reproduced performance of several of his lesser known pieces.
Published 5 months ago by Mr. R. Middleton
4.0 out of 5 stars
New found gems
This is a fascinating release of works by Holst that were unknown to me prior to my purchase of this recording. Read more
Published 5 months ago by BB
5.0 out of 5 stars
A neglected masterpiece
The Tony Palmer DVD "In The Bleak Midwinter" featured among other pieces Holst's "Cotswold Symphony", a delightful masterpiece which is under-represented in the catalog - this... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Howard Wilkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
holst:cotswolds symphony
the cd was ordered for a friend. it arrived on time and in good condition and i understand he is very pleased with the presant thank you
Published 9 months ago by Kenneth E. Boynett
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cotswold Symphony etc by Holst
The music on this CD is very well performed. Mostly early Holst with glimpses of the composers later mature style. Entertaining but not great music.
Published 10 months ago by Norman L. Castleton
3.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect performances and recordings.
I love Holst's music with a passion this side idolatry.
I have made musical pilgrimages to Cheltenham, Thaxted and Hammersmith. Read more
I have made musical pilgrimages to Cheltenham, Thaxted and Hammersmith. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr Stephen M. Whitaker
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