Breadth or depth?

[verismissimo]

Our royal messageboarder, King Christian II, announced that he has just acquired his 56th Sibelius 2, while at the other extreme it is clear that Roehre consistently goes for expanding his knowledge of the ever-growing repertoire.

I'm somewhere in between - always interested in sampling new-to-me composers, but just as interested in fresh performers and performances.

Where are you?

[Mahlerei]

I do have multiple versions of given works, but nothing like KCII's. These days I'm much more interested in exploring new repertoire. So much to discover and so little time....

[Daring Tripod]

I do not go in for purchasing many versions of the same works. There is so much else to purchase which I have not got and still wish to buy to widen my experience. However, there are always notable exceptions as more and more reissues come on the market.

As Smittens taught me, the more I listen, the more my musical experience widens. I remember with shame the amount of Proms performances I used to walk out of in my early days because I did not have the patience to listen.

There is so much music I still want to hear, to savour or find I don’t like and there are only 24 hours in the day!

I would not know what I would have done without R3!

[salymap]

I worry if I have more than three copies of a work. That includes tapes, CDs and LPs. If I'm not going to listen to all the things I have I shouldn't be buying more. Little time? Yes that's a worry too!

[Alison]

I shouldnt think I have more than 20 versions of any work.

I did once set out to have all of Elgar's music on disc before accepting that he wasnt in any
case anything like my favourite composer.

I have virtually of Haitink's and Tennstedt's recordings and am not fanatical about completeness.

[Petrushka]

I have very many versions of my favourite pieces (50+ of both Mahler 2 and Beethoven 9, 30 odd of Bruckner 8) as regular boarders will know and, like Alison, I also have virtually everything set down by Tennstedt and Haitink (but no opera - I really must do so). It really is depth for me and every one of those versions of Mahler 2 teaches me something fresh about the work. I haven't quite got every recording ever made (still looking for the 1935 Ormandy, the 'new' Klemperer on Testament, Eschenbach as well as a few others) but it must be close.

I don't explore new territory as much as I would wish but enthusiastic recommendations on here can be tempting.

[BetweenTheStaves]

Gosh.....that puts my measly ten of Mahler 2 to shame! Or is that 30 between the two? Nothing compares to a live performance though and even then they are a bit variable.

[BBMmk2]

I don't nor,al;l;y gop for multiples of a siongle work, like Mahlerie, I tend to prefer to explore new music. Life is too short!!

[StephenO]

I'm somewhere in between - always interested in sampling new-to-me composers, but just as interested in fresh performers and performances. Where are you?

In a similar place. I certainly couldn't match KCII or Petrushka for depth or Roehre for breadth. The most versions I have of a work is six - Mahler 2 (Rattle, Klemperer, Solti, Tennstedt live, Fischer and Bertini) although that'll no doubt increase to seven when Rattle's new recording is released on CD next year. Composers range alphabetically from Adam to Zemlinsky and chronologically from Hildegard to Adams. But, even though I only have around 1,100 CDs in my collection, I reckon there's still enough there to keep me listening happily for many years to come.

[Petrushka]

Gosh.....that puts my measly ten of Mahler 2 to shame! Or is that 30 between the two?

No, that's around 50 each of both Mahler 2 and Beethoven 9. I used to say I could identify which one was being played within the first few bars and reckon I still could but haven't put the theory to a serious test. There are so many different variables that it makes for fascinating comparisons. My repertoire is narrow compared to some on here and is mostly orchestral from Haydn onwards, very little chamber/instrumental and not much opera except Wagner and Strauss but I do consider that I have a very in-depth knowledge of my chosen field. There are still symphonies to get to know particularly Bax and Pettersson, for example, but I see little point in attempting to cram too much repertoire in just for the sake of it. There isn't enough time anyway.

[Steerpike]

My vital statistics are 2,348 titles from 268 composers. Don’t know how many discs because I don’t record number of discs in boxes etc on my Excel database.
Lieder aside (I’ve got 52 discs of Schubert lieder, in addition to the cycles, but these, of course, represent many different pieces) the biggest ‘depth’ items are Goldberg Variations and Fidelio (13 each) closely followed by Beethoven 9 and Bruckner 5 (11 each).
So my great enthusiasms for Haydn, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Brahms, Elgar, Britten, Janacek, Verdi, Smetana etc don’t show up. I’ve got practically all the works of these but only in miserable ones, twos and threes. Must try harder.
Also must find a way of inventing more time!

[Ferretfancy]

As mentioned elsewhere, there's a 50CD Mozart set on sale at HMV for a tenner. Now, if it had been a 50CD Mahler symphony set on offer, I would probably have offered a fiver, brought it home and put it in my "Reserve Collection" along with the other Mahler symphonies, in the forlorn hope that I might eventually do more than just about tolerate them.

[Alison]

Come on Ferret

You know full well that when Mahler symphonies are programmed in London Concert Halls
you'll be there ;-)

[Ferretfancy]

Alison,

Well, I must concede, at the Proms occasionally, I'd also have to admit that Abbado conducting No. 3 is a great memory for me.
It's the peculiar mixture of false naivety, bombast and neurosis that I find so hard to take, and at such length, and I find the whole Mahler cult completely baffling I'm afraid.
There was a vocal item on Breakfast yesterday morning, and I thought "It's got to be Knaben Wunderhorn "and it was, so irritating!

Still, for all those who love Mahler, I happily send best wishes for 2011 and yet another centenary celebrating the great man!

Happy New Year!

Ferret

[BetweenTheStaves]

......
Still, for all those who love Mahler, I happily send best wishes for 2011 and yet another centenary celebrating the great man!

Happy New Year!

Ferret

I'll drink to that! Here's to a memorable No 2 at the Proms.