Man, I am sorry I missed this blind comparison. I'm gonna have to check out that Vänskä recording.
Just two notes on the CSO/Boulez clip linked earlier in this thread.
I love watching Boulez conduct!
[edit: hmm, his style mellowed somewhat since his days in charge of the BBC SO - a lot of finger-pointing and wrist-twiddling then.
I would say that has to do with his relationship with the CSO. Firstly, that orchestra is on a different level than the BBCSO of decades ago. Secondly, the CSO had a very close relationship with and deep respect for Boulez for nearly the last three decades of his life. He simply didn't need to give that many directions to them, as they knew exactly what he wanted.
I have checked the Chicago Symphony website, but so far this performance has not been released.
This was never meant to be a commercial recording. It was filmed for a PBS "Great Performances" broadcast. It also was never meant to be a Pierre Boulez concert! Muti was supposed to conduct that week and the PBS broadcast was meant to feature him. But Muti cancelled several months of concerts for medical reasons and went home to Italy. IIRC, Boulez happened to be in town and available, so he took over (and changed the program - I don't remember what Muti had originally programmed for that week). And being a superstar himself, PBS was happy to keep the broadcast appointment. I was at this concert. What was even better, but unfortunately not preserved on video, was a performance Boulez conducted a few weeks later of Janacek's Glagolitic mass, with Paul Jacobs on organ. That was ridiculously good.