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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There's such a long and widespread performing tradition for this popular old warhorse that it's hard to be surprised by it anymore, but surprised is exactly what I was when I first heard this disc at volume on a quality hi-fi. The Montreal / Dutoit partnership was nearly always a class act and this account of The Planets is certainly as good as any, and better than most, with luminous, singing strings and thrillingly weighty, almost Chicagoan brass. Mars terrifies, Jupiter elates, Saturn chills, Uranus swaggers.
But it's the quality of the recording which stuns and shakes you. The beautiful acoustic of Montreal's St. Eustache church, the vivid colours and detail, the extraordinary dynamic range, the hair-raising organ surges which you feel as well as hear... Clearly, a lot of effort went into the sound engineering here but the real delight is how effortless and natural it sounds... for a recording, because it doesn't sound like this in a concert hall! I recently saw a fantastic performance by the Halle at the Bridgewater Hall and was mildly underwhelmed due to my familiarity with this disc.
This is the only recording of The Planets I'll ever want; it's nothing more (though nothing less) than a dazzling orchestral showpiece for me and, on those terms, this recording ticks every possible box.
But it's the quality of the recording which stuns and shakes you. The beautiful acoustic of Montreal's St. Eustache church, the vivid colours and detail, the extraordinary dynamic range, the hair-raising organ surges which you feel as well as hear... Clearly, a lot of effort went into the sound engineering here but the real delight is how effortless and natural it sounds... for a recording, because it doesn't sound like this in a concert hall! I recently saw a fantastic performance by the Halle at the Bridgewater Hall and was mildly underwhelmed due to my familiarity with this disc.
This is the only recording of The Planets I'll ever want; it's nothing more (though nothing less) than a dazzling orchestral showpiece for me and, on those terms, this recording ticks every possible box.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a fantastic interpretation of Holst's famous planet suite. The price is worth the Majestic version of the popular Jupiter alone. Here the conductor and the orchestra really extract the full emotional depth of the piece. The whole album is recorded impeccably, with a good balance between the different instruments. Very highly recommended.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Holst's The Planets has been a top favourite of mine since I heard a performance of Mars, The Bringer of War when I was much younger. However finding a good recording of this masterpiece was not so easy. I first tried with Rattle's recording about 4 years ago, it was picked up from my local library yet sadly the quality of the recording and it's terrible lacklustre performance failed to bring back old memories.
On Gramophone's recommendation I decided to invest in the Award's Collection edition of the Charles Dutoit recording with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. It certainly was a wise decision.
The recording on a technical standpoint is crisp and clear, with great effort in bringing out the beautiful nature of The Planets. The performance though is what truly set's this CD apart from most recordings. Jupiter is actually brought out in a great fanfare of joyous music where Mars is dark and foreboding. Performances of classical pieces only work when they are able to take some form of emotion, this takes you through the amazing work of Holst's in fine form by doing so.
I cannot recommend this amazing and well-priced recording high enough, buy it and relish it.
Evans 09.
On Gramophone's recommendation I decided to invest in the Award's Collection edition of the Charles Dutoit recording with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. It certainly was a wise decision.
The recording on a technical standpoint is crisp and clear, with great effort in bringing out the beautiful nature of The Planets. The performance though is what truly set's this CD apart from most recordings. Jupiter is actually brought out in a great fanfare of joyous music where Mars is dark and foreboding. Performances of classical pieces only work when they are able to take some form of emotion, this takes you through the amazing work of Holst's in fine form by doing so.
I cannot recommend this amazing and well-priced recording high enough, buy it and relish it.
Evans 09.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sonically superb
Simply the best recorded Planets ever. Sonically outstanding, magnificently played. Dutoit conjures his usual magic from the Montreal Symphony as ever.
Published 1 month ago by Dr. M. Scott
total eclipse
I bought this after reading the reviews as when it comes to classical music thats somewhat helpful NOT IN THIS CASE. Read more
Published 12 months ago by R. Poole
Five star recording
This is a really great listen, one that I enjoy coming back to. I'm just adding this to counteract the one three-star review, given by someone who seems unhappy with how noisy his... Read more
Published 16 months ago by A Name for Reviews
A triple treat...
A great pop classical piece, an award-winning recording & if you're new to The Planets & love movies, you'll be staggered at the list of films that used ideas from this suite.
Published on 25 Jan 2010 by Tyrone
Outstanding!
After hearing various recordings of Holst's "The Planets", this is by far - for me - the best recording. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2009 by Helga Charman
John's Review
I'm a keen classical music fan, and have small (ish) collection and yet the most popular pieces are missing, so I've recently started to fill in the gaps. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2009 by J. Fisher
CD Purchase
Bought new so obviously no surface damage. This is the most outstandingly engineered and produced disc in my collection - by a mile. Thoroughly recommended. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by D. B. Harker
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