Search - Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Eugene Ormandy :: Holst: The Planets / Vaughan Williams: Fantasias (RCA Victor Basic 100, Vol. 27)

Astonishing quality

Gerald | USA | 12/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ormandy make this album a must have. A great rendition of "The Planets.""

Ormandy, "The Planets", And More

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 06/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Easily one of the best recordings from Ormandy's final decade as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, this set combines one of the giant works of 20th century, Gustav Holst's "The Planets", with two lighter works by Ralph Vaughan-Williams that show off the orchestra's trademark string section.Without a doubt, "The Planets" is a showpiece, requiring a massive orchestra, including a battery of percussion, a celestra, an organ, and a wordless female choir in the seventh and final movement, "Neptune." Ormandy, however, pulls this off greatly in all the movements, and also engenders a bit of wit into "Mercury" amd "Uranus." "Neptune" features the women's voices of the Mendelssohn Glee Club of Philadelphia, and they give this movement its eerie celestial form.Vaughan-Williams' Tallis and Greensleeves fantasias are a fine showcase for the orchestra's vaunted string section, which distinguishes them from almost any other orchestra on earth. The single flute and harp are used to haunting effect in "Greensleeves", and the Philadelphia strings soar to brilliant effect in the "Tallis."Originally recorded in 1974 and 1975, this CD release of these three masterpieces by one of the world's finest orchestras ever comes strongly recommended."

Wonderful orchestral execution, but Ormandy is at low voltag

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/15/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"To be fair, when Eugene Ormandy made this rather low-key reading of The Planets, the work hadn't emerged as the sonic blockbuster it is now. Karajan was the first conductor to astonish listeners by the barbaric impact of Mars, a feat that far outstrips Ormandy's mild god of war. However, there's no denying the ravishing beauty of the orchestral work; the classic Boult recording on EMI is put into the shade. With Venus and Neptune sounding this ethereal, it's a shame that Mercury isn't fleet-footed and Jupiter a lot more jovial.



The fillers are generous, a Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, in which the velvety string sound of the Philadelphians comes through with seductive sweetness, but not much rhythmic bite. The familiar Greensleeves is even less rhythmic, but the sounds continue to pour forth voluptuously."