Vividly rendered by
Sir Charles Groves and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and digitally recorded with full, natural sound, this 2004 reissue of
Holst's The Planets and the St. Paul's Suite is a bargain for anyone looking for a respectable recording at a budget price. Aside from its affordability, though, little outwardly distinguishes this disc from the vast galaxy of excellent recordings available, and aficionados of The Planets should not expect anything out of the mainstream. But if a competent, reliable recording is needed, this one admirably fills the bill. A champion of British music throughout his career,
Groves is authoritative and secure in this work, and his interpretation is solid, without any personal quirks or exaggerations to make it unusual or novel. The
RPO responds to his confident direction with great power in Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus, and offers remarkably delicate colors in Venus and Neptune. While The Planets is this disc's main attraction, the short St. Paul's Suite for string orchestra should not be missed. More mundane and typical of
Holst's output for his student orchestra, the suite is charmingly melodic in the English folk song vein, and provides a down-to-earth ending to this otherwise celestial album.