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'Those who know only The Planets hardly know Holst at all', says composer Colin Matthews at the start of his booklet note for this CD, the first in a projected series begun by Richard Hickox prior to his sad death.
Hickox knew the music of Holst extremely well, returning to the composer recently after a successful series with the City of London Sinfonia and London Symphony Orchestra, also for Chandos.
This disc looks at four ballets, with some unusual stories played out for the listener. Matthews is critical of Holst's choice of subject matter, explaining how it helps to listen without prior knowledge of the plot - which is all very well, but he doesn't then go on to describe what makes this music worth listening to.
Part of its appeal is Holst's elusive style. In The Lure he comes close to the Stravinsky of Petrushka, while The Golden Goose is a more obviously English tale more suited to Vaughan Williams.
The Perfect Fool ballet music will more than likely be the best known score here, and Hickox conducts it with commendable urgency, the opening trombone fanfares posing the question. When all hell breaks loose, as it does when the spirits of Earth and Fire dance, the conductor allows the brass their big moment without losing control.
The singers' arrival in The Golden Goose is an initial surprise, but Holst works them to his advantage in characterful word settings and descriptive orchestral writing. Where Hickox helps is in his acute awareness of the dynamic range, while the more obviously folk-influenced melodies have a spring in their step.
These qualities are carried over to The Morning Of The Year, the first work to be commissioned by the BBC Music Department. This is the first time a BBC orchestra has recorded the score, and while thematically it may be more difficult to grasp, it maintains a secure structure in the hands of Hickox.
Yet it is in the purely orchestral music on this disc that Holst and Hickox make their greatest impression. The Lure is a fine, dramatic and colourful score, and Hickox brings its nuances alive.
It is therefore a huge shame the conductor lost his life while working on the sequel. In leaving this, however, Hickox encapsulated his core musical values on one disc.
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