Despite his large, varied output,
Gustav Holst is mostly remembered for a single composition, one the composer himself did not think was among his best: The Planets. Many of
Holst's compositions were inspired by his curiosity in the mystic and magical, but he was far from a one-trick pony. His Brook Green Suite and St. Paul's Suite show him to be a gifted writer for student ensembles; the Choral Fantasy is a work of refined maturity, and the Somerset Rhapsody finds
Holst in the unexpected realm of writing music based on folk tunes. Of his compositions,
Holst admired the serene, spacious Egdon Heath above all others. This two-disc EMI compilation features all these works and others, giving listeners a more representative sample of
Holst's abilities than The Planets alone. EMI draws from recordings from as far back as 1964 (Choral Fantasy) to as recent as 1984 (Suite No. 2 for military band). While all of the performances chosen are solid and well-executed, the variability in sound quality from piece to piece is a bit distracting, with the prevailing sound being somewhat dull and flat. Even
Boult's reading of The Planets with the
LPO is somewhat lackluster. Still, listeners who rightly seek to know more of
Holst's music beyond The Planets will find the set a helpful tool.