wimpel69
10-24-2016, 11:14 AM
"This is the kind of performance that feels like you�re in a
concert hall listening to a great performance of The Planets."
FLAC and mp3 links below. This is my own rip. Ripped with EAC (Accurate Rip).
FLAC image link includes the complete artwork, LOG & CUE files.
Please add to my reputation or say thanks below to keep the thread alive.
This now is my own favorite version of Gustav Holst's masterpiece, by Sir Charles Groves and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It's neither the fastest nor the slowest, without many quirks,
just done right! ;) - And the recorded sound is perfect for this piece.
Sir Charles Groves (1915-1992) was a major British conductor of the 20th century, one of a relative few content
to hold posts with only U.K.-based orchestras, though he led many performances by various European and American
ensembles. He was well-known as an interpreter of large scores, including operas, often obscure operas. He was first
among English conductors to lead performances of the entire canon of Mahler symphonies.
Groves studied music as a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral Choir School and later enrolled at the Royal College of Music,
where he focused on piano and organ studies. He also took an interest in choral and orchestral music, leading many
ensembles in both venues during his student years. He worked with Toscanini in performances of Beethoven's Missa
Solemnis and the Brahms and Verdi requiems. In 1938, the BBC Theatre Chorus engaged Groves to serve as a chorus
master. Six years later, he was appointed conductor of the Manchester-based BBC Northern Orchestra (later named
the BBC Philharmonic), his first such permanent assignment. He established a reputation for high performance standards
in this post and for inclusion of unusual repertory. He left the BBC NO in 1951 and assumed duties as conductor of the
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra the following year. He immediately made numerous changes in the ensemble, which
had been plagued by many troubles in the postwar years. The group's repertory was extended to include opera,
performed in conjunction with the Welsh National Opera, and the orchestra's name was changed in 1954 to the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. His fine work with the Welsh National Opera and with operatic repertory in
general did not go unnoticed: in 1961, he was appointed director of the Welsh National Opera, becoming the first
conductor to hold the post in a full-time capacity. Once more, Groves expanded the repertory of his new ensemble,
adding Wagner's Lohengrin and other major works previously ignored. Not only did Groves divulge an adventurous
streak in his inclusion of new works, but he quite consistently brought them off with much acclaim. In 1963,
Groves became the permanent music director of what would become the most-respected British ensemble not
based in London, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He took the group on a highly acclaimed tour of Germany
and Switzerland in 1966. The following year, Groves took on a concurrent assignment as associate conductor
of the London-based Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Further tours for both his groups ensued in the next few
years. With the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, he returned to Germany and Switzerland in 1968 to
critical acclaim, and in 1970 toured Poland, where he scored a notable triumph at the Festival of Modern Music
(Warsaw); with the RPO, he toured the United States to generally enthusiastic receptions. In 1973, Groves was
knighted; five years later, he was appointed music director of the English National Opera, without doubt attaining
one of the most coveted positions in British opera. But he quickly found the post incompatible with his manner
of leadership and resigned the following year. For the last decade or so of his career, Groves guest-conducted
ensembles throughout the world.
Of his numerous recordings, many are still available on a variety of labels. Not surprisingly, he displayed
a fondness in both concert and recording venues for the music of Delius, Vaughan Williams, Arnold,
Maxwell Davies, and of other British composers.
Music Composed by
Gustav Holst
Played by the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
With the
Ladies of the Royal Philharmonic Chorus
Conducted by
Sir Charles Groves
"�Mars� starts off ominously. That�s a good start. And it gets better. This is a powerful �Mars�. (The snare drummer
is really pounding that drum.) The big orchestral bang at 6:36 is cataclysmic. Excellent.
�Venus� is wonderful. There�s a moment for me that really stood from all that excellence: from 3:53-3:58, the
cellos rise up from the orchestra and ascend towards the heavens. It�s glorious. Unfortunately, when a cello plays
a couple of solos a bit later on (4:26-4:36 and 5:27-5:38) the intonation�s a bit spotty � but it�s not enough to
stop me from going �This is a great �Venus�.�
�Mercury� is just as wonderful.
�Jupiter� is full of brio (it�s brioful), and features a super-enthusastic cymbal crash at 0:20. It�s possibly the loudest thing
on the entire CD. Everything else is magnificent though. Sidenote: I�m fairly (i.e, not entirely) certain a horn or a tuba
plays a wrong note at 1:68. I may be wrong, because it�s very busy there and hard to tell. If I am wrong, I heartily apologise
to the horn or tuba player in question. There�s a tiny and really-not-worth-mentioning bit of horn flatness at 4:47. (It�s really,
really tiny.) There�s also a flat piccolo note at 5:11, but in The Grand Scheme Of Things it�s nothin�. Now that �Jupiter�
has finished I can say, with ringing in my ears, the loudest thing on the CD wasn�t that cymbal crash at 0:20. It was the
cymbal crash at 8:03.
�Saturn� is mighty, even with the ever-so-slightly late trumpeter at 4:18. (I noticed it, but it didn�t bother me. Hopefully
it doesn�t bother you.)
�Uranus� has a couple of slip-ups here and there. In the �here� category there�s a glaringly wrong horn note at 1:01
(I figured out the horn player inadvertently � and loudly � plays the note it was supposed to play four bars later, at 1:07).
And in the �there� department a trumpet note goes haywire at 1:40. But those wrong�uns count for nought as far as I�m
concerned. I mentioned them only because they�re: a) so noticeable; and b) so out of step with the overall excellence of
everything else on display. �Uranus� is excellent. The orchestra makes a great racket here � they�re noisy in the best
possible way. There�s a wee trumpet slip-up at 1:40, but you don�t have to pay attention to that. At 5:06 there is what
sounds like an edit � but that�s fine by me, because it happens at the moment the orchestra and the organ crash and
clash (ah, the old crash�n�clash), and the edit enhances that moment.
�Neptune� starts off slower than usual, and I love it. The slower speed makes it sound so languid, and it casts a spell.
Unfortunately, that spell was broken (just a little) by some not-great intonation from the wind instruments at 0:40.
And (Warning: Ultra-Nitpicking Alert:) the harp speeds up a little from 1:27-1:31 before settling back down again.
I can imagine Charlie G. looking at the harpist disapprovingly at that moment in the recording session. Also
(Warning: Ultra-Nitpicking Alert 2), something is very slightly out of tune from 2:13-2:15. But �Neptune� is
splendid. The low organ note from 3:58-4:14 is� I can�t think of the exact word to decribe it, but it�s fabulous.
(Note to self: �fabulous� will have to do. Reminder to self: Increase your vocabulary, Peter.)
By the way, you can safely ignore pretty much everything I�ve typed about Sir Charge�s Planets (especially all
that pointless nitpickery).
Come to think of it, I didn�t actually need to type an awful lot about Cha-Cha-Charles�s Planets, but I typed
more than I thought I was going to. (I thought I was just going to say �This is excellent!�)
Just focus on the word �excellent�. It�s all excellent � even with the aforementioned occasional waywardness.
All of the movements are excellent. The recording�s excellent. (The acoustics are perfect for the music.)
This is the kind of performance that feels like you�re in a concert hall listening to a great performance of
The Planets. And I think that�s a great way to listen to Los Planetas."
Peter's Planets
> FLAC link IMAGE (https://www.sendspace.com/file/71i9qs) <
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> FLAC link ARTWORK (https://www.sendspace.com/file/rspfdt) <
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> MP3 link (https://www.sendspace.com/file/w28rmh) <
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Source: Castle Communications CD MAC CD903
Recorded: 1986 - This release: 1997
Formats: FLAC image 16-44 / mp3 320kbit / DDD Stereo
FLAC and mp3 links above. This is my own rip. Ripped with EAC (Accurate Rip).
FLAC image link includes the complete artwork, LOG & CUE files.
Please add to my reputation or say thanks below to keep the thread alive.
concert hall listening to a great performance of The Planets."
FLAC and mp3 links below. This is my own rip. Ripped with EAC (Accurate Rip).
FLAC image link includes the complete artwork, LOG & CUE files.
Please add to my reputation or say thanks below to keep the thread alive.
This now is my own favorite version of Gustav Holst's masterpiece, by Sir Charles Groves and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It's neither the fastest nor the slowest, without many quirks,
just done right! ;) - And the recorded sound is perfect for this piece.
Sir Charles Groves (1915-1992) was a major British conductor of the 20th century, one of a relative few content
to hold posts with only U.K.-based orchestras, though he led many performances by various European and American
ensembles. He was well-known as an interpreter of large scores, including operas, often obscure operas. He was first
among English conductors to lead performances of the entire canon of Mahler symphonies.
Groves studied music as a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral Choir School and later enrolled at the Royal College of Music,
where he focused on piano and organ studies. He also took an interest in choral and orchestral music, leading many
ensembles in both venues during his student years. He worked with Toscanini in performances of Beethoven's Missa
Solemnis and the Brahms and Verdi requiems. In 1938, the BBC Theatre Chorus engaged Groves to serve as a chorus
master. Six years later, he was appointed conductor of the Manchester-based BBC Northern Orchestra (later named
the BBC Philharmonic), his first such permanent assignment. He established a reputation for high performance standards
in this post and for inclusion of unusual repertory. He left the BBC NO in 1951 and assumed duties as conductor of the
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra the following year. He immediately made numerous changes in the ensemble, which
had been plagued by many troubles in the postwar years. The group's repertory was extended to include opera,
performed in conjunction with the Welsh National Opera, and the orchestra's name was changed in 1954 to the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. His fine work with the Welsh National Opera and with operatic repertory in
general did not go unnoticed: in 1961, he was appointed director of the Welsh National Opera, becoming the first
conductor to hold the post in a full-time capacity. Once more, Groves expanded the repertory of his new ensemble,
adding Wagner's Lohengrin and other major works previously ignored. Not only did Groves divulge an adventurous
streak in his inclusion of new works, but he quite consistently brought them off with much acclaim. In 1963,
Groves became the permanent music director of what would become the most-respected British ensemble not
based in London, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He took the group on a highly acclaimed tour of Germany
and Switzerland in 1966. The following year, Groves took on a concurrent assignment as associate conductor
of the London-based Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Further tours for both his groups ensued in the next few
years. With the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, he returned to Germany and Switzerland in 1968 to
critical acclaim, and in 1970 toured Poland, where he scored a notable triumph at the Festival of Modern Music
(Warsaw); with the RPO, he toured the United States to generally enthusiastic receptions. In 1973, Groves was
knighted; five years later, he was appointed music director of the English National Opera, without doubt attaining
one of the most coveted positions in British opera. But he quickly found the post incompatible with his manner
of leadership and resigned the following year. For the last decade or so of his career, Groves guest-conducted
ensembles throughout the world.
Of his numerous recordings, many are still available on a variety of labels. Not surprisingly, he displayed
a fondness in both concert and recording venues for the music of Delius, Vaughan Williams, Arnold,
Maxwell Davies, and of other British composers.
Music Composed by
Gustav Holst
Played by the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
With the
Ladies of the Royal Philharmonic Chorus
Conducted by
Sir Charles Groves
"�Mars� starts off ominously. That�s a good start. And it gets better. This is a powerful �Mars�. (The snare drummer
is really pounding that drum.) The big orchestral bang at 6:36 is cataclysmic. Excellent.
�Venus� is wonderful. There�s a moment for me that really stood from all that excellence: from 3:53-3:58, the
cellos rise up from the orchestra and ascend towards the heavens. It�s glorious. Unfortunately, when a cello plays
a couple of solos a bit later on (4:26-4:36 and 5:27-5:38) the intonation�s a bit spotty � but it�s not enough to
stop me from going �This is a great �Venus�.�
�Mercury� is just as wonderful.
�Jupiter� is full of brio (it�s brioful), and features a super-enthusastic cymbal crash at 0:20. It�s possibly the loudest thing
on the entire CD. Everything else is magnificent though. Sidenote: I�m fairly (i.e, not entirely) certain a horn or a tuba
plays a wrong note at 1:68. I may be wrong, because it�s very busy there and hard to tell. If I am wrong, I heartily apologise
to the horn or tuba player in question. There�s a tiny and really-not-worth-mentioning bit of horn flatness at 4:47. (It�s really,
really tiny.) There�s also a flat piccolo note at 5:11, but in The Grand Scheme Of Things it�s nothin�. Now that �Jupiter�
has finished I can say, with ringing in my ears, the loudest thing on the CD wasn�t that cymbal crash at 0:20. It was the
cymbal crash at 8:03.
�Saturn� is mighty, even with the ever-so-slightly late trumpeter at 4:18. (I noticed it, but it didn�t bother me. Hopefully
it doesn�t bother you.)
�Uranus� has a couple of slip-ups here and there. In the �here� category there�s a glaringly wrong horn note at 1:01
(I figured out the horn player inadvertently � and loudly � plays the note it was supposed to play four bars later, at 1:07).
And in the �there� department a trumpet note goes haywire at 1:40. But those wrong�uns count for nought as far as I�m
concerned. I mentioned them only because they�re: a) so noticeable; and b) so out of step with the overall excellence of
everything else on display. �Uranus� is excellent. The orchestra makes a great racket here � they�re noisy in the best
possible way. There�s a wee trumpet slip-up at 1:40, but you don�t have to pay attention to that. At 5:06 there is what
sounds like an edit � but that�s fine by me, because it happens at the moment the orchestra and the organ crash and
clash (ah, the old crash�n�clash), and the edit enhances that moment.
�Neptune� starts off slower than usual, and I love it. The slower speed makes it sound so languid, and it casts a spell.
Unfortunately, that spell was broken (just a little) by some not-great intonation from the wind instruments at 0:40.
And (Warning: Ultra-Nitpicking Alert:) the harp speeds up a little from 1:27-1:31 before settling back down again.
I can imagine Charlie G. looking at the harpist disapprovingly at that moment in the recording session. Also
(Warning: Ultra-Nitpicking Alert 2), something is very slightly out of tune from 2:13-2:15. But �Neptune� is
splendid. The low organ note from 3:58-4:14 is� I can�t think of the exact word to decribe it, but it�s fabulous.
(Note to self: �fabulous� will have to do. Reminder to self: Increase your vocabulary, Peter.)
By the way, you can safely ignore pretty much everything I�ve typed about Sir Charge�s Planets (especially all
that pointless nitpickery).
Come to think of it, I didn�t actually need to type an awful lot about Cha-Cha-Charles�s Planets, but I typed
more than I thought I was going to. (I thought I was just going to say �This is excellent!�)
Just focus on the word �excellent�. It�s all excellent � even with the aforementioned occasional waywardness.
All of the movements are excellent. The recording�s excellent. (The acoustics are perfect for the music.)
This is the kind of performance that feels like you�re in a concert hall listening to a great performance of
The Planets. And I think that�s a great way to listen to Los Planetas."
Peter's Planets
> FLAC link IMAGE (https://www.sendspace.com/file/71i9qs) <
A "virus" mesage that may appear in your browser is not real. The site is virus-free.
> FLAC link ARTWORK (https://www.sendspace.com/file/rspfdt) <
A "virus" mesage that may appear in your browser is not real. The site is virus-free.
> MP3 link (https://www.sendspace.com/file/w28rmh) <
A "virus" mesage that may appear in your browser is not real. The site is virus-free.
Source: Castle Communications CD MAC CD903
Recorded: 1986 - This release: 1997
Formats: FLAC image 16-44 / mp3 320kbit / DDD Stereo
FLAC and mp3 links above. This is my own rip. Ripped with EAC (Accurate Rip).
FLAC image link includes the complete artwork, LOG & CUE files.
Please add to my reputation or say thanks below to keep the thread alive.