Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4

Featuring

Sir Andrew Davis
Guy Johnston
BBC Philharmonic
Gustav Holst

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) came from a musical family; his great-grandfather, a composer and pianist, emigrated from Riga in 1799, and his grandfather and father were both successful musicians.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded using 24-bit/96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.

Performer Biography

The BBC Philharmonic, one of the BBC's six orchestras and choirs, performs over 100 concerts a year, broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3, and has made more than 250 recordings with Chandos Records.

Performer Biography

Sir Andrew Davis, the conductor, has served as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2000 and is also Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Holst's unique worldview, which he translated into music, was founded on idealistic socialism (William Morris), Sanskrit literature, Walt Whitman's poetry, and English folksong (with Ralph Vaughan Williams).

Performer Biography

Guy Johnston, the cellist on this recording, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year, the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award, and a Classical Brit Award.

Composition History

None of the music recorded on this album was published during Holst's lifetime, and only the Scherzo, composed at the end of his life, has entered the repertoire.