Mimi Ezust wrote:

>Would someone tell me about this work, please.  How long is it? What are
>some good recordings? Is it scored for full orchestra? What does it sound
>like? If it is on a cd with other pieces, what are they?

It's one of Holst's more impressionistic (for want of a better term
because it has real tunes in it, clearly stated) works.  It's based on
the first chapter (I think) of Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native--the
descrption of the fictional Egdon Heath (actually a sort of composite, as
I understand it) of several heaths (or moors, I think they're also called)
in Dorset.  It has a real mysterious, misty, maybe even gloomy feeling to
it, and accurately, to my memory, describes the eerie feeling of these
places.  It's a beautiful work, haunting in its way.  To liken it to any
of the Planets is difficult.  The best I could do is to combine Venus and
Neptune, with the accent on Neptune, and that's pushing it.

It's about 13-14 minutes, for full orchestra.  I like the Previn and
Boult performances.  Previn's is with Boult's first EMI stereo planets
and Holst's Perfect Fool.  I know Boult's from a London LP (stunning sound,
as good as Previn's, also originally an LP): I don't know if it's on CD.
Hickox and Sargent have recordings, each accompanied by other lesser knonn
Holst works.  I've not heard either and could not choose between the
coupled works: I'd want them all.  Andrew Davis has one on Teldec with
Planets, but I think he misses a bit of the gloomy mystery of the piece,
and his Planets, while good, is not great.

Roger Hecht