What have you liked in these works....


My recordings of The Planets and Rhapsody in Blue are older and
was wondering if there are more current versions of these that you like?

SACD would be nice, but not essential.                              
whatjd
Not SACD I'm afraid but a stream Gershwin Rhapsody , my favourite happens to by Benjamin Grosvener the young English pianist in a superb rendition of it. 
The Grosvener is very good +1. A couple of thoughts/suggestions:

First, not exactly “current”, but if you haven’t heard it the 1959 Leonard Bernstein with NY Philharmonic is, IMO, the definitive version style (Gershwin) wise. It has been remastered and the sound is excellent by any standard if that is a priority.

The work is almost always heard in its later version for large orchestra. Its original version was for a much smaller ensemble. This “Jazz band” version was commissioned by band leader Paul Whiteman and is wonderful. Definitely something that lovers of this work should be familiar with. Check out the 2010 Decca recording with Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Baltimore Symphony/Marin Alsop cond. Great!

For Holts “The Planets”. Check out Simon Rattle/Berlin Phil (2006?) on Warner Classics. Fantastic.
I wish the Steinberg/Planets would be remastered on a higher res format...the old DG I have shows it's "technology age".