Holst: The Planets / R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
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CD Details
Composer: Gustav HolstComposer: Richard Strauss
Conductor: Richard Strauss
Conductor: William Steinberg
Performer: William Steinberg
Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2001-05-08
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
- Sunrise
- Of The People of The Unseen World
- Of Joys and Passions
- Of The Great Longing
- Dirge
- Of Science
- The Convalescent
- The Dance Song
- The Song of The Night-Wanderer
- No. 1, "Mars, the Bringer of War"
- No. 2, "Venus, the Bringer of Peace"
- No. 3, "Mercury, the Winged Messenger"
- No. 4, "Jupiter, the Bringer of Peace"
- No. 5, "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age"
- No. 6, "Uranus, the Magician"
- No. 7, "Neptune, the Mystic" (w/hidden 8-part female chorus)
Music reviews of Holst: The Planets / R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Music Review: Go-for-broke, lurid, and highly effective
Rating: 4 Stars
Besides their pop associations with outer space, The Planets and Also Sprach Zarathustra have escaped the orbit of classical music to become hits with crossover listeners. The other reviews here seem to emanate from fanboys -- at least that might account for the supercharged enthusiasm over Steinberg's preformances. I lived through the dismal Leinsdorf era into the abbreviated Steinberg one. He was hired to rebuild a demoralized group of musicians. I don't think the job was fully completed. The BSO sounds reckless and blatant in both performances, pouring out loud, coarse sounds that became mroe refined udner Ozawa when he arrived (leaving aside his other, less happy influences on the orchestra).
The main attraction may well be DG's marvelous sonics, which really are of demonstration quality. The visceral impact of a large orchestra in full cry is captured in exciting fashion. But Steinberg bulls his way through The Planets, ignoring opportunities for nuance. The two best movements are the terrifying Mars and seductive Venus, but by the time we arrive at Jupiter, Steinberg's go-for-broke approach is yielding short-term rewards. The same is true of Zarathustra. Where other conductors try to find gold among the dross, Steinberg is blatant and coarse, in no way equalling Karajan, Kempe, Tennstedt, and Reiner, all of whom lead performances full of genuine feeling, not mere flash.
I can't hope to win any approval for these views of a CD that fans root for as avidly as they do the Red Sox, but perhaps a few newcomers will learn what they're actually in for.
Description of Holst: The Planets / R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Steinberg's tenure at the helm of the Boston Symphony was cut short by illness, but his relatively slim catalogue of recordings with the orchestra produced several important examples of his art, boasting truly fine interpretations and spectacular playing. These orchestral showpieces by Strauss and Holst were long overdue for reissue. Steinberg's fast tempos make the Strauss work zip by; it's as if he takes it in one big gulp, creating as exciting a performance as you're likely to hear. The Holst also gets the "let's keep it moving" treatment to good effect, though a more measured pace for the opening movement, "Mars," would bring a greater sense of menace. As on many DGs recorded around 1970-1971, the engineering is bright and bass-shy, but it's clear and detailed, too. --Dan DavisGeneral CDs
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