Holst The Planets & The Perfect Fool Hybrid Stereo SACD

Reference Recordings proudly presents Holst's best known and beloved works in an outstanding interpretation from Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony. This hybrid SACD release was recorded in the beautiful and acoustically acclaimed Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It was produced by David Frost, six-time winner of the Classical Producer of the Year GRAMMY award. It was recorded by RR's engineering team, comprised of GRAMMY-winning engineer and Technical Director Keith O. Johnson, and multi-GRAMMY-nominated engineer Sean Martin.

The Kansas City Symphony has a vision to transform hearts, minds and its community through the power of symphonic music. Founded in 1982, the Symphony has established itself as a major force in the cultural life of the community. Praised for performances of uncompromising standard, the orchestra is the largest in the region and holds a national reputation under the artistic leadership of Music Director Michael Stern.

This is the seventh in Reference Recordings' series with Kansas City Symphony. Previous albums are Shakespeare's Tempest, the Grammy Award-winning Britten's Orchestra, an Elgar/Vaughan Williams project, Miraculous Metamorphoses, an all-Saint-Saens CD featuring the magnificent Organ Symphony, and the music of contemporary American composer Adam Schoenberg (nominated for two Grammy Awards). Two additional projects, featuring one-movement symphonies by Barber, Scriabin and Sibelius; and a live recording of works of Johannes Brahms, have been recorded and slated for future release.

For over 40 years, Reference Recordings has been one of the most innovative and respected independent labels in the music business. Reference Recordings releases have been highly praised for their dedication to high quality sound in the service of great music. After more than 175 releases, RR is still recording what many consider to be the finest-sounding classical, jazz and blues discs in the world.

Now in its seventh release with Reference Recordings, the Kansas City Symphony (KCS) once again has a stellar gem on its hands. Back in 2014, Michael Stern took hold of Adam Schoenberg's World Premiere music, a grand coup for the Emmy Award-winning composer. Highly persuasive, the 38 year old's works were even found more fascinating due to the Brainiac engineering by Keith O. Johnson and Sean Martin to highlight the sheer abstract artistry. Similarly, such carryover into Gustav Holst's The Planets [with extracts from The Perfect Fool] is a perfect match due to the global immensity and sparkling grandeur it sets forth... It goes without saying that Reference Recordings is synonymous with excellence in quality and depiction. Firmly anchored within our 'Fruited Plain', the Kansas City Symphony possesses an imposing quality of perfection and candor.

The superior recording, along with the fine reading of the Kansas City Symphony directed by Michael Stern, makes this the must-have recording.