A spot of Boccherini plus Holst

I think I last mentioned Boccherini late in 2006 in connection with his Cello Concertos but recently I picked up this set of two cds of his String Quartets which Naxos put out in 2002.

I love chamber music but Boccherini tends to be somewhat neglected when it comes to commercial recordings so it's a delight to have these performances  which are excellent at budget price so well recorded. 

In addition I picked up a copy of the 1997 budget 'Duo' reissue of the classic 1967 Opus 12 Symphonies cycle originally issue as three lp box set by Raymond Leppard and the New Philharmonia Orchestra now slotted in two gorgeously filled cds very well digitally re-mastered.

 

Anyway, this cd from Japan arrived that combined two much loved performances of Holst's The Planet Suite and Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss by the Boston symphony Orchestra conducted by William Steinberg.

These well very well received on lp record in 1970 and 1971 and were issued on cd in 1987 and 1988 with me buying my copies in 1992 and 3 with the Strauss coming with two other Strauss recordings and the Holst with another short work.

Those cds were very good for the period but this newly mastered version with both main performances is truly exceptional with more depth, transparency and imaging than the original cd versions even though they are just regular but very well manufactured cds.