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Summary: 'A GIANT INFLUENCE ON PROGRESSIVE ROCK"
Comment: Holst The Planets was a universal awakening for progressive rock musicians during the early 70's. Mars, the bringer of War turns up on King Crimson's The Devil's Triangle. Excerpts from Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity are found on NO OPPORTUNITY NECESSARY by Yes. The main melody is reproduced on Manfred Mann's Joybringer. The center section of Mars, Bringer of War is played by Lucifer's Friend on Summerdream. I have also heard snipets of Procol Harum and Univers Zero. I believe that David Bedford and Bernard Hermann were influenced as well. Holst the Planets is very educating and musicians have been studying the work for decades. John Williams compositions for the Star Wars Trilogy is the most common example of just how influential Holst really was. A great buy!
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Summary: John Williams Owes Holst Big-time
Comment: Give a listen to The Planets, and you'll recognize the phrases and melodies and arrangement style that became Star Wars in John Williams' able hands.
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Summary: music 5
Comment: I bought tis for my son who is a music major. He loved it
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Summary: Exciting array of music....................
Comment: Totally remastered for surround sound or high resolution stereo and the results are astonishing. The Planets was always of demonstration quality; now it sounds more spacious than ever, with greater depth in the bass, enhanced internal definition and the dynamics expanded. The result is thrilling---Uranus and the brass bring a remarkable sense of the concert hall. The performance is basically traditional, with plenty of ferocity in Mars, delicacy in Mercury and sparkle in Jupiter, and throughout there is an appealing freshness as if one were experiencing Holst's wonderful orchestral effects for the first time.
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Summary: Wonderful! And with thanks to John Williams for introducing this listener to "The Planets!"
Comment: I bought this CD after a Tanglewood concert a few years ago where John Williams, focusing on movie music including his own compositions, also conducted "The Planets." I recognized "Jupiter" as the theme music for a WQXR (the New York Times radio station) "New York at 6" program. It was a treat to find out where that piece came from. When I listened to this beautifully performed CD, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Williams' movie music included -- a brilliant move on the part of this item's producers (just listen to "Mars" and then to "Star Wars"). As another reviewer has suggested, it's not clear why his music was included, but there are similarities here which I'd love Mr. Williams to discuss some day. I've since become an avid amateur astronomer, and so the themes, musical and otherwise, projected in the works of Holst and Williams have become a special treat for the mind as well as the ear.
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