The Greatest Recording Ever Made: 4th Poll

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Making polls of recordings by one composer has not worked well; it gets a wholly different flavor to it. Perhaps because the specialists and real lovers of that composer come out in force. Suddenly it was about Bruckner not "TGREM". (Not that that's not interesting... just not what I'm after in the grand attempt to find which a recording might be, on which GMG-members converge for "TRGEM".)

So I've taken recordings from a variety of composers and times to see which ones you might think could be considered having TGREM-status.

You have three votes.

[Biffo]

Another horrible/impossible selection. I voted for Fleisher/Szell but think their Beethoven cycle is a better candidate, should have thought of it at the time. I suppose the Britten War Requiem is a respectable candidate, depends how highly you rate the work itself.

I have plenty of fine recordings from Reinhard Goebel but not the Brandenburgs. Also have some of The Sixteen's Victoria, serviceable but nothing special. Personally, I wish the miller's daughter had been drowned in the mill race in the first song and got the whole thing over with a lot quicker. I hope we are going to get a vote on Winterrreise. I am sure Kondrahin is wonderful in DSCH 8, just never heard him; his recording of No 9 & Stepan Razin is another matter.

Wise after the event as usual.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Another horrible/impossible selection. I voted for Fleisher/Szell but think their Beethoven cycle is a better candidate, should have thought of it at the time. I suppose the Britten War Requiem is a respectable candidate, depends how highly you rate the work itself.

I have plenty of fine recordings from Reinhard Goebel but not the Brandenburgs. Also have some of The Sixteen's Victoria, serviceable but nothing special. Personally, I wish the miller's daughter had been drowned in the mill race in the first song and got the whole thing over with a lot quicker. I hope we are going to get a vote on Winterrreise. I am sure Kondrahin is wonderful in DSCH 8, just never heard him; his recording of No 9 & Stepan Razin is another matter.

Wise after the event as usual.

Not voting (or voting only for one selection) is absolutely encouraged if you feel that few if any of these deserve inclusions. After all, at this point the idea is to get the list DOWN.... so there will be a lot of inclusions the majority won't consider TGREM-worthy. You can still nominate the Szell/Fleisher LvB cycle, I suppose. It's not too late.

Perhaps you are right, though, that I stuffed this poll with too many low voltage selections.

Third Poll.
Fifth Poll.

[Biffo]

Not voting (or voting only for one selection) is absolutely encouraged if you feel that few if any of these deserve inclusions. After all, at this point the idea is to get the list DOWN.... so there will be a lot of inclusions the majority won't consider TGREM-worthy. You can still nominate the Szell/Fleisher LvB cycle, I suppose. It's not too late.

Perhaps you are right, though, that I stuffed this poll with too many low voltage selections.

I don't want to complicate matters further with more choices. I think it is brave of you to undertake the task and I blame Norman Lebrecht for any infelicities 

[Daverz]

Voted for Kondrashin, though I think the 4th and the 14th are the most impressive recordings in the Kondrashin Shostakovich box.  I've read that the last Melodiya issue has the best sound.  My copy is on the Korean Aulos label (green box with magnetic clasp).

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Voted for Kondrashin, though I think the 4th and the 14th are the most impressive recordings in the Kondrashin Shostakovich box.  I've read that the last Melodiya issue has the best sound.  My copy is on the Korean Aulos label (green box with magnetic clasp).

That's my version, too... a gift from a dear acquaintance... but I've not laid my hands on it in years, due to geographic separation from half my collection.