Last weekend, when conductor Krzysztof Urbański was a guest of the Munich Philharmonic (the first time since he conducted the concert recording of the “Planets” (Gustav Holst) used in my app in February 2020), I got to show him the Planets app.
What can I say. He was deeply impressed and took so much time that he almost missed the beginning of his following concert. But then, the orchestra doesn’t start without him.
The intimacy of the sound from within the orchestra and the possibility of moving around within the orchestral sound were a completely new and exciting experience for him.
The artistic director of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Müller, was also present at the appointment and was surprised and impressed by how much the experience captivated him after his initial technical panic.
For me, the encounter was a very important confirmation of my thesis that smartphones and headphones can be used to unlock valuable novel musical experiences. Indeed, here one is experiencing a complete symphonic work in its “full-length” arc. It’s a world premiere in a tech-savvy scene that, until now, has rarely gone beyond interesting and curious but brief morsels.
Now why did I write above that Urbański was the most prominent beta tester so far? Because since the update released yesterday The Planets can be experienced not only with German narration but also in English. Both language versions were recorded by the great Cologne actor Stefko Hanushevsky.
In addition to the additional language, many more locations have been added where The Planets can be experienced, in Germany besides Munich e.g. in Berlin, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nuremberg, Cologne or Hamburg. Internationally you can now find localizations e.g. in London, Amsterdam, New York, San Francisco and many more.
Have a look at the map on the project website, all current locations are listed there. And the plan is to add many more. Feel free to let us know if you miss a localization near you!
