Holst - Works for Two Pianos

£4.17

1. The Planets, Op. 32: Mars, The Bringer Of War
2. The Planets, Op. 32: Venus, The Bringer Of Peace
3. The Planets, Op. 32: Mercury, The Winged Messenger
4. The Planets, Op. 32: Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity
5. The Planets, Op. 32: Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age
6. The Planets, Op. 32: Uranus, The Magician
7. The Planets, Op. 32: Neptune, The Mystic
8. Ballet From The Perfect Fool, Op. 39: Andante, Dance Of Spirits Of Earth, Of Water, And Of Fire

Magical. - This is Holst s own transcription of The Planets and it is remarkably good, given the reliance of the original on a myriad of instrumentation. There is no denying that the pianos fall short of the orchestra here and there - it s inevitable, Mars is one of the weaker movements in that respect and Mercury suffers also. However, during the quieter moments, the pianos have as much to offer as the orchestra (perhaps more). This is evident in Venus, Saturn and especially Neptune which, on piano, sounds strangely like Ravel or Debussy. Jupiter is as jolly as you would expect it to be.I can t really comment on the transcription of Ballet From The Perfect Fool because I m not familiar with the original, but I think any fan of The Planets would get endless hours of enjoyment from this CD.The pianists themselves are superb throughout and a testament to the versatility of the piano as an instrument. The transcription itself is a testament to the brilliance of Holst as a composer.

• Holst - The Planets (four hands, one piano)
• Holst - Orchestral Works
• Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
• Scarlatti - Piano Sonatas