Sir Antonio Pappano’s affinity with British music is already well established, and since his appointment as Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2024 he has deepened his engagement with the core symphonic repertoire of these islands. The first instalments in his ongoing Vaughan Williams cycle on LSO Live have been widely praised for their interpretative insight, so it comes as no surprise that he should now turn to Holst’s ever-popular ‘The Planets’.

On SACD in particular, the catalogue is already richly served by a number of distinguished recordings. My comparisons here are with versions by Vernon Handley (Membran), John Eliot Gardiner (DG), David Lloyd-Jones (Naxos), and Andrew Davis (Chandos), all available in SACD format and representing a high level of interpretative and technical accomplishment. Any new addition to such a crowded field must offer something distinctive to justify its place. Happily, this release does just that.

Pappano proves himself the equal of the finest exponents, aided by the superb playing of the LSO –an orchestra with a unique historical connection to the work, having made the first recording under the composer in 1922–23. The present recording, made in DSD256fs live at the Barbican in September 2024 and issued as a 5.1 multi-channel hybrid SACD, is very good, if not quite demonstration-class.

Tempi across the seven movements are judiciously chosen and broadly in line with those of his peers. ‘Saturn’, however, is taken at a slightly more measured pace than usual, allowing the music to build inexorably towards a superbly controlled and deeply satisfying climax. Throughout, the orchestra plays with striking pungency and precision.

Particular mention must be made of ‘Neptune’, where the offstage female voices of Tenebrae are flawlessly blended, their intonation secure and their entry seamlessly integrated – no small achievement in a passage that can so easily disappoint in lesser performances.

As an added attraction, the disc includes a captivating account of Sir Arnold Bax’s magnificent tone poem ‘Tintagel’, here making its first appearance on SACD. Pappano vividly evokes its seascape character: the swell and surge of the Cornish coast are powerfully conveyed, while Bax’s evocation of the legend of Tristan with its allusions to Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde’ are clear. The result is a reading of considerable romantic sweep, matched by orchestral virtuosity of a high order.

This is a ‘Planets’ of real distinction – compellingly played, thoughtfully conceived, and securing Pappano’s place among the foremost interpreters of British music.

Copyright © 2026 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

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