Search - Gustav Holst, Adrian Leaper, Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra :: Gustav Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool

From Mercury to Neptune

Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 04/04/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Leaper's rendition "The Planets", Holst's most popular (and only recognizeable) work, with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Grand Canary is a good one. He isn't, however, as great as other conductors (say, Charles Dutoit or Andre Previn), but he is still very good. "Mars: The Bringer of War" is loud, but the terror of it seems just a bit smoothed over. "Venus: The Bringer of Love" is charming and very meditative. The strings in "Mercury: The Winged Messenger" needs some more work when they're being played at a fast speed. Leaper's interpretation of "Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity" doesn't come close to Previn's when it comes to beauty and precision, but it still does have some nice mellow flow. "Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age" is as beautiful as Dutoit's Saturn, and it is certainly better than the dull rendition of John Eliot Gardiner. For "Uranus: The Magician", I'm a bit indecisive. It has that full terror and humor that Previn has unveiled, but it doesn't have the energetic juice that Dutoit unveiled, so I guess it goes in the middle. "Neptune: The Mystic" is too soft sometimes, but the eerieness of the woman's choir makes up for it. This is the first time that I have heard the ballet music of "The Perfect Fool", so I can't compare it to others; all I can say is that it sounds good.



All in all, while this doesn't even come close to the grand masters of the Planets, it is still a good listen."