Me and my crazy ideas.

[MN Dave]

How difficult would it be for us to go through the GMG archives and compile a "best" recordings list for the major masterpieces? Maybe volunteers could each take a composer for this research. We could use the top two or three recordings for each piece based on GMG popularity. Then when someone asks what we like for such-and-so work, we plaster that baby up. And of course, after it's "done", we could fight about it, and even argue whether a particular new recording should supplant an older choice.

Just a thought.

[karlhenning]

Large stretches of the literature, you're going to get sharp disagreements on "the best."  How do you resolve those?

[MN Dave]

I think there is a general concensus. However, it would be up to the individual researching, I imagine. Fights will and can ensue!

[karlhenning]

Well, and you know what I will say, as a composer: consensus be damned ; )

[MN Dave]

Warhorses then...

[Scarpia]

I think there is a general concensus. However, it would be up to the individual researching, I imagine. Fights will and can ensue!

There is controversy regarding what is best, but often less controversy about what is significant.  For Beethoven's 5th Furtwangler, Szell, Karajan, Gardner or Bruggen, maybe Harnoncourt, maybe Immersal, maybe Solti.  People may not like them all but I think most would consider them the ones to be reckoned with.

But I don't think this sort of endeavor would reflect the strength of this site.  We can all go to one of the CD guides to find out what the standard recordings of any given piece are.  The purpose of this site is discussion of such things with individuals.

[MN Dave]

Maybe I should keep my crazy ideas to myself. Maybe I'll do this all on my own and not tell anyone. Some long and lonely year...

[karlhenning]

Au contraire, Dave, bring on the crazy ideas.  What are fora for?

[MN Dave]

What are fora for?[/font]

I have no idea. 

[prémont]

.... but often less controversy about what is significant.  For Beethoven's 5th Furtwangler, Szell, Karajan, Gardner or Bruggen,

Are they significant? 

[MN Dave]

I'm part German. I like to compile! 

[MN Dave]

Dave, why don't you tell us what some of the major pieces (& a representative recording of that piece) are for you personally? (you should have this sorted for yourself by now, right?) How long you been listening-to & exploring art music btw ??

It's a long story, but roughly a quarter century.  And I still feel like I don't know anything. Maybe it's all that other music I listen to rotting my brain.

[MN Dave]

That's odd. Perhaps stop collecting recordings and start listening to the ones you have  ??

...stop...collecting...recordings... 

Of course, I have my favorites. I've never listed them though. Mostly the popular stuff that everyone else is sick of by now. 

[MN Dave]

Well list 3 of them ...

Three works or recordings of works?

[MN Dave]

...and OBVIOUSLY representative top recordings of each  ...

Not sure I could do that. Just ones I like.

[MN Dave]

Can't you tell when someone's effin' with ya?   

Reiner's Nevsky
Arrau's Nocturnes
Fleisher's LvB Concertos

[MN Dave]

I know you're effin' with me. What do you think I was doin' ?  hehe

And, to tell the truth, there are few pieces that really knock me out. Thanks for this prompt; I'll try to list them someday soon. Should be interesting (to me).

[MN Dave]

As it should be. Most music isn't very good. And "classical"?? Oh the eons of wasted life ...Pfff ... 99.9% of it is bland & dull or whatever.

Very interesting percentage there.

[MN Dave]

And I go through waves, so if we're talking about solid time where I actually collected classical over that quarter century I mentioned above, it might work out to be somewhere around six and a half years.

[MN Dave]

So you're really an amateur. Understandable then.

Ah, finally. Someone understands me.