I heard that Decca Karajan Planets shortly after its first release on LP. It caused a stir at the time as few non-British orchestras had recorded the work, though a Viennese orchestra had quite recently, the State Opera orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult on Westminster. I've often wondered if Karajan used a tenor Wagner tuba in place of the Euphonium usually used here. Holst merely says 'tenor tuba' which could mean either.
Herbert's interpretation was more controversial. I remember one BBC critic, maybe on 'Building a Library' saying that Mars sounded less like the bringer of war and more like the bringer of no good to young ladies in dark alleys. Herbert of course made a later versionon DG with his Berliners.
Herbert's interpretation was more controversial. I remember one BBC critic, maybe on 'Building a Library' saying that Mars sounded less like the bringer of war and more like the bringer of no good to young ladies in dark alleys. Herbert of course made a later versionon DG with his Berliners.
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