When Gustav Holst composed his celebrated suite The Planets during the First World War, the solar system was bounded by the orbit of Neptune (‘The Mystic’ in Holst’s astrological subtitle)—which Holst naturally placed at the end of his masterpiece. It was not until fifteen years later that American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, trying to find the reason for peculiarities in Neptune’s orbit, realized that there was another planet further out whose gravitational pull was influencing it. And so was discovered the dark, remote and mysterious world of Pluto, named after the King of the Underworld. The discovery was made but three years before Holst’s death, but he never expressed any intention of adding it to his by-then famous work. Sixty years later, invited to do so by The Hallé Orchestra, the challenge was taken up by Colin Matthews whose Pluto—The Renewer emerges eerily from the disappearing final bars of ‘Neptune’. This is the first recording of Holst’s Planets with the additional planet, sumptuously recorded by Tony Faulkner in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. The CD also includes Holst’s late Lyric Movement for viola and chamber orchestra, written in 1933, the year before the composer died. ‘This disc is a highly desirable addition to anyone’s collection’ (BBC Music Magazine)
The Planets Suite for Orchestra H125 (Op 32) 1 Mars—The Bringer of War [7'42] 2 Venus—The Bringer of Peace [7'25] 3 Mercury—The Winged Messenger [4'05] 4 Jupiter—The Bringer of Jollity [7'50] 5 Saturn—The Bringer of Old Age [9'40] 6 Uranus—The Magician [6'01] 7 Neptune—The Mystic [6'41] – 8 COLIN MATTHEWS (b1946) Pluto—The Renewer [6'22] with THE LADIES OF THE HALLÉ CHOIR, KEITH ORRELL chorus master 9 Lyric Movement for viola and small orchestra H191 [11'49] TIMOTHY POOLEY viola 10 Neptune—The Mystic (with original ending) [6'50]
