Holst's 'The Planets' - Bernard Haitink conducts the LPO - Philips LP 1970

Bernard Haitink recorded this version of "The Planets" for Philips and the LP was released in 1970. He was currently music director of the London Philharmonic and he uses that orchestra for this recording. This performance was released on CD but has long since been withdrawn and is currently unavailable in any format. It is considered one of the greatest recordings of Holst's masterpiece and deserves to be available and rediscovered.

[@mcbastie]

I agree this with the opening blurb ☝️ This should be rereleased.

[@AndyDavies-f7p]

Fabulous! I had this recording on Compact Cassette back in the 70s and used to listen to it a lot in the car, unfortunately while driving with some gusto sometime in the early 00s, the player decided to eat the tape. I managed to get it out with a small loss and spliced it together but there was a metre or so that was scrunched-up and didn't play well. I hardly ever dared to use it after that and searched, without luck, to find a replacement. Finding this has made my week! Thank you Richard.

[@michaelmurray8562]

I think this is the slowest tempo performance of Mars that I have ever heard, but it was also the first I ever heard back when I was in high school in 1972. So, I've always thought everyone else is taking it way too fast ever since... but that may be the fashion of the day. Nevertheless, Haitink really caught the brutality and militaristic qualities of the piece in a way that everyone else seems pretty much to have missed. Yes indeed, I agree with the original poster, this version should be re-released on CD.

[@stefanufer608]

I think Mars sounds really creepy and nasty at this slow tempo - in 1984, at the Proms, I heard Haitink conduct this with the Philharmonia but a lot faster.

[@robandwood57]

This movement can be taken too quickly. Played too fast it loses its mechanistic and inhuman power. Haitink has this tempo just about right I think. I first came across this recording in the mid '70's and haven't heard it for many years, it's good to listen to it again.

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

One to put alongside Haitink's masterful Vaughan Williams recordings.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

Ignore Hurwitz, Haitink Vaughan Williams is great.

[@robertburns576]

@@ilirllukaci5345 100% agree with this statement. I have both the Haitink and Handley complete sets and love them both for what they bring.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

@@robertburns576 maybe it's me. But Haitink's structural feel allows me inside of Vaughan Williams' symphonies. As an American.

[@leonardosaezruz326]

Magnífico.