Holst: The Planets

by Zubin Mehta, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

Overview

Conductor Zubin Mehta's 1971 recording of Gustav Holst's The Planets has always been a fine representative of the first part of his career. A generous, energetic recording in which he gave the brass of his Los Angeles Philharmonic, flexing its rapidly growing powers, free rein, and the percussion, too; hear the enthusiastic work of the timpanist in the "Uranus" movement. There may be a missed note or two, but the breadth and spaciousness of the performance marked it as one of the greats. The sound, too, was splendid for its time, and this 2024 audiophile LP reissue on the Decca label marks something of a tribute to the original engineers. They established the dimensions of the work immediately in the opening "Mars" movement and match Mehta's balances, both among the instruments and among the movements, step for step. It is a mark of Mehta's reputation that listeners still remember this release more than 50 years on, but it has clearly happened; the album landed on classical best-seller charts in early 2024. That gave chart-watchers a chance to observe the rare spectacle of an LP reaching top chart levels, but this is a phenomenon that is on the increase in classical music as in other genres. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	12/14/2004
Label:	JVC / XRCD
UPC:	0693692022827

Tracks

1. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Mars, the Bringer of War - Allegro
2. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Venus, the Bringer of Peace - Adagio
3. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Mercury, the Winged Messenger - Vivace
4. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity - Allegro giocoso
5. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age - Adagio
6. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Uranus, the Magician - Allegro
7. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125~Neptune, the Mystic - Andante

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Zubin Mehta   Primary Artist,Conductor
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Women of the Los Angeles Master Chorale   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Peter Grant   Art Direction,Design
Mike Gray   Liner Notes
Kevin Berg   Executive Producer
John Mordler   Producer
Colin Moorfoot   Engineer
Akira Taguchi   Producer
Alan Yoshida   Mastering
James Lock   Engineer