Track Listing

1. Mars, the Bringer of War
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
6. Uranus, The Magician
7. Neptune, the Mystic

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37146 in Music
• Released on: 2007-07-10
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Charles Dutoit often sounds better on disc than he does live. The reason for this is simple: he loves to play to the audience, and the result is all kinds of wild gesticulating that the orchestra knows perfectly well to ignore. Sometimes they ignore him completely, to the peril of the performance at hand. In the studio, however, there is no audience and the conductor is free to focus on the music. Dutoit has a real affection for The Planets and his performance is vital, insightful, and recorded in resplendent digital sound. The Montreal Symphony has a particularly powerful trombone section, which adds just that extra drop of energy to "Mars,"Jupiter," and "Saturn." A fine disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

...Celestial
Considering that this recording of Holst's most popular works is among a pioneer in digital recordings, it still outshines rival versions. Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra have a natural feeling for mood, rhythm and colour that transpire into the "Planets Suite" that have stood up through the years. The inspiration for "Planets Suite" started with just the simple facination Holst had with astrology that would transcend into music that never existed in english music before and is undoubtedly the most famous of large scale compositions and deservely so because it's a masterpiece in imagination.

Earth being excluded and Pluto yet not discovered, the seven planets would bare original character traits associated with the planets. Mars, the bringer of war starts off thunderously. Venus, the bringer of peace a nostalgic glance with his infatuation with Wagner. Mercury, the winged messenger submerged completely in impressionism, everything is dabs and dashes of sounds. Jupiter, the bringer of jollity, Holst's love of english folksong and dance would be adapted for a patriotic hymn. Saturn, the bringer of old age a procession that winds unrelentlessly. Uranus, the magician a nightmarish version of Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Neptune, the mystic is pure impressionism, a blank picture, all atmosphere...one of the most awe inspiring intimations of the infinite. It ends hauntingly with the receding voices of the Montreal's women chorus.

The way Holst was meant to be performed
This is probably my alltime favorite orchestral work, and my most overplayed CD. The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal does a superb job of interpreting Holst's most famous work.

Mars, for example, with its wide dynamic range, beginning with a very low pianissimo and hitting its climax later (as this movement should), is captured with all the tension and intensity worthy of "The Bringer of War." I played this CD at work one time, and one of my passing co-workers quipped, "boy, this sounds like Star Wars." I don't think he was aware of how appropriate of a description it was!

I also need to mention the segue between Tracks 6 and 7, the transition between Uranus and Neptune. The change is barely perceptible. Uranus ends very quietly, and Neptune begins equally so -- almost to the point where I can't tell one from the other. I have to respect an ensemble that can make this transition in this manner.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable album. If you've never heard this work before, I'd tell you to begin here.

SOUNDS FINE TO ME
Most reviews I have read of this disc seem pretty pleased with both performance and recording. On the other hand I am just slightly influenced by some thoughtful comment I have seen that expresses a few reservations regarding the balance -- to me reviews are 'useful' if they show independent judgment, not if they support my preconceptions which are quite strong enough not to need reinforcing. What this account definitely is is vivid. The orchestral detail is very clear, but if I ask myself whether this is quite how The Planets sounds in the concert hall, then I'm not so sure. I like it this way, but this is not a piece where I am hard to please the way I am about performances of the Viennese classics or Ravel or Sibelius or Elgar or Walton. In general this is a very effective reading of The Planets. The tempi sound about right to me, no doubt because they are much what I am used to, and the playing and orchestral discipline are superb. This is the only disc of The Planets that I own or plan to own because it's not a work I'm fussy about, but connoisseurs may want to consider whether the effectiveness has been slightly overmanipulated by the recording technicians.