Holst's massive composition "The Planets" is well known for its musical excitement and beauty and its purely sonic values have made it a popular candidate for demonstration discs. Everyone should have at least one performance(I have seven)in their collection, but should be aware that the composer wasn't an example of a "one-hit wonder".
An excellent 2-disc collection which includes of course a performance of The Planets conducted by Sir Adrian Boult(who led its first performance, and who Holst commented "First made The Planets shine")also includes a fine overview of his other works. Besides The Planets I especially enjoy The Perfect Fool and The Song of The Blacksmith from the Suite for Military Band. This set is available for about $7 up from several
Amazon sellers .
