A masterpiece of the leading symphony orchestra

Gustav Holst's "The Planets" to German: "The Planets" (1916 completed) is certainly one of the compulsory works of every avid listener of classical music. Despite the holding in limits notoriety beyond the British Isles in Europe, represent "The Planets" a great orchestral suite, with the participation of many similar works will be judged from this period.
Already the first track "Mars: The Bringer Of War" you will be introduced to the sound of fireworks by Holst. Very Wagnerian (Holst imitated many composers as needed) breaks the large orchestra like a violent storm on the phone inside. After the brutal "Mars" peaceful "Venus: The Bringer Of Peace" follows. Dominated by harp and strings, this piece stands as an accurate alternative to the previous "Brass-storm" Mars and unfolds a tonal beauty that you get only very rarely heard. "Mercury" and "Jupiter", the show then follow Holst's ingenious use of the large symphony orchestra, which once furious and rushed, sometimes rejoicing or again tremendous sound ("Jupiter") by Holst's "Planet Tour" leads. A further highlight is the more ominous expectant "Saturn", which transforms itself towards the end to an impressionist, beautiful and almost weightless symbol of lightness, which can almost forget the enormous array of the ensemble. After very diverse "Uranus", constitutes "Neptune, The Mystic" as the last time known planet (Pluto was discovered only in 1930) and the conclusion of this suite. The feeling of Entschwindens into another world, brings Holst here so striking authentically expresses that it is hardly possible to escape this unique sound. Mysterious woodwind melodies and especially the frequent use of harp and celesta, and a 6-stimmigem female choir at the end, let the listener into a world immersion, which is so strange and mystical, that only comes back out of this trance when the Choir slowly died away in silence.
This work is a great experience, even for the "average Joe listener" as I find very accessible. The seemingly inexhaustible musical diversity are the planet its charm.

The version reviewed on here comes from the Berlin-Philharmonic under the baton of great Herbert von Karajan from the year 1981. What Karajan brings out here, the orchestra has no equal. Crystal-clear, uniform sound impress as does the fact that he repeatedly creates the nuances that are set apart from the big brass and string-banns (for example, by the celesta or the harp), clearly stated. Another masterpiece Karajan it is also always find a perfect pace, which is perfectly just the character of each piece. The "Mars" is not too fast, the "Jupiter" very lively, which fits perfectly to the joyful atmosphere. Also, "Venus" and "Neptune" bribe fact that Karajan takes a lot of time. There are, in my opinion, no other recording, which is all so combines them into a perfect whole. Many conductors unfold here not the sound Karajan, or make it a by too fast tempos difficult to detect the respective pieces in their entirety.

Would anyone who "The Planets" quasi perfection hear (be it for the umpteenth or first time), I therefore recommend this edition because of the great interpretation Karajan, and also because of the musical spectacle that "The Planets" offer, warmly.