Definitive Recordings...

[jayne lee wilson]

Listening to Richter's 1950s Melodiya accounts of Schubert D.850 and D.845 recently, I found myself thinking "this, this just can't be done better". When I first had it, and took out Uchida and then Kempff, I simply couldn't listen to them for more than a few minutes. Or anyone else. Not a good thing perhaps? Now Paul Lewis has done them, but dare I buy it, or even try it...?

Have any recordings or live performances done this to you - prevented you from enjoying other readings... or even stopped you listening to the piece, perhaps for some time, drained of all response, all passion spent?

Luckily with Richter's Russian Schubert readings I still can return to them, but as for others...

[Norfolk Born]

I found it very difficult to consider any other recordings of 'Das Lied von der Erde' once I'd heard Christa Ludwig's rendition of 'Der Abschied'.

[ostuni]

For me, it was a live performance, in May last year: the CBSO's Mahler 2 in Symphony Hall, with Kazushi Ono (a last-minute replacement for an indisposed Oramo). I had advance notice that it was going to be something special: David Nice quoted a CBSO string player's email to him, in his blog on the previous day - ''Kazushi Ono is an absolute genius - today's rehearsal was the most extraordinary day's work in my career since I played for Svetlanov back in the 80s. I think you are in for a treat".

It was an overwhelming experience: so many little interpretative touches seemed to me to work so well - yes, I felt just as Jayne describes above. I listened to a lot of Mahler last year, both live and recorded, but Ono's was the only performance that made me unwilling to hear the piece again for a while (yes, quite a while: I still haven't wanted to hear any new recordings...).

[Roehre]

For me definitive recordings simply don't exist - there are some which I prefer, but that's as far as it goes.

[Nick Armstrong]

I found it very difficult to consider any other recordings of 'Das Lied von der Erde' once I'd heard Christa Ludwig's rendition of 'Der Abschied'.

Ah... you see, I feel the same about Janet Baker in the same piece....

I do find that sometimes - rarely - there are such performances. Will try and think of others.

[cloughie]

Ibert:Divertissement PCO Martinon
Brahms:Sym 2 BPO Kempe

I don't know if my music analytical skills are good enough to call them definitive, but for my ears, they are the ones to match!

[Nick Armstrong]

Ibert:Divertissement PCO Martinon
Brahms:Sym 2 BPO Kempe

I don't know if my music analytical skills are good enough to call them definitive, but for my ears, they are the ones to match!

Love that Martinon!!

Don't know the Kempe Brahms! As I'm a fan of both, this seems remiss! Will explore, cheers Brian!

[Pabmusic]

The problem is that most 'definitive' recordings are already well known for being so. I can't imagine a better performance of Walton's 1st Symphony than Previn with the LSO. Likewise, has anyone bettered Gilels in his DG selection of Grieg's Lyric Pieces? Or du Pre in the Elgar? (On second thoughts, and to be controversial, perhaps her performance is too personal to be truly 'definitive'.)

[visualnickmos]

Hello Roehre (msg 4)

I quite agree - but there is, I think a fine line, but a line nevertheless between 'benchmark' and definitive. There can be more than one benchmark performance.

[PJPJ]

I prefer Sargent and Boult in Walton 1, Desormiere in Ibert's Divertissment and Pini in Elgar's Cello Concerto, Beinum and Barbirolli in Brahms 2, but do like very much the previously mentioned favourites as well.

[Pabmusic]

I prefer Sargent and Boult in Walton 1, Desormiere in Ibert's Divertissment and Pini in Elgar's Cello Concerto, Beinum and Barbirolli in Brahms 2, but do like very much the previously mentioned favourites as well.

Well said! And I think this may also suggest that - at least in part - what is 'definitive' is what we like.

[Parry1912]

Elgar: Sea Pictures (Baker/Barbirolli)

and maybe Karajan's EMI Ravel 'Rapsodie Espagnole'

[Petrushka]

The Solti Ring. I've heard many live and recorded performances since having the LP's in the 1970's but whichever performance it is I still 'hear' Neidlinger's incomparable Alberich, Nilsson's Brunnhilde, Windgassen's Siegfried, those anvils, that thunder machine, those sound effects and, of course, the Vienna Philharmonic. Nothing else quite matches up.

[Mahlerei]

I suppose 'definitive' only makes sense in a personal capacity, as the recordings may not be considered as such by others. In any case, I often find a new version comes along and claims the title.

[Nick Armstrong]

I suppose 'definitive' only makes sense in a personal capacity, as the recordings may not be considered as such by others. In any case, I often find a new version comes along and claims the title.

I agree, by and large - witness Lord Norfolk and me on the subject of Der Abschied. But I do there there is a handful of performances which seem objectively to be 'definitive'. I have listened for years to (and banged on here about) the French CD critics programme, and it was significant that the Janet Baker/John Barbirolli "Sea Pictures" for example was elected (blind) as being streets better than all others. I think that's one example of a performance that has such a combination of ideal elements plus an extra and unique magic, that it could properly be described as 'definitive'