Holst Planets

This latest recording by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Paavo Järvi features two of the best known orchestral works to come out of England in the twentieth century, Gustav Holst's popular suite for orchestra, “The Planets” and The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten.

Seven musical character images – each one immensely sensual and expressive, and standing on its own like a monument. The British composer Gustav Holst, fascinated by (esoteric) astrology, chose the planets of our solar system and the characteristics attributed to them as the basis for what he referred to as musical ""mood pictures"" or ""embodiments"". Ultimately, the seven movements of his orchestral suite “The Planets”, op. 32, composed between 1914 and 1916, can also be understood as general explorations of human traits.

William Steinberg’s famous readings of Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and Holst’s The Planets newly remastered at 24-bit/192kHz. 1 Blu-ray Audio disc (new quadrophonic remastering) + 1 CD (new stereo remastering) in DigiPack format. These recordings remain mementos of Steinberg’s brief tenure as the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director (1969-1972) – cut all too short due to ailing health – and are of the first rank both musically and technically. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first performance of “The Planets”. Includes booklet notes (E, D) on Steinberg and the BSO and an essay on quadrophonic recording.

The Planets, composed between 1914 and 1916, is a suite of seven movements. Holst's starting point for the music was the astrological character of each planet, though his interest in astrology went no deeper than its musical suggestiveness…

Although best remembered for his devotion to the core Austro-Germanic repertoire, Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan did flirt with the English repertoire in the '50s and early '60s.