Topic: Franz Liszt (1811-86)

[schnittkease]

Unfortunately I don't have Madiel's astounding self-control. 

[San Antone]

Unfortunately I don't have Madiel's astounding self-control. 

I rely on streaming and only buy what is either 1) unavailable to stream (like Hyperion recordings) or 2) rarely, something I want even if it is available to stream.  Consequently, I am buying far fewer CDs than I used to, like, one-tenth as many if not fewer.

[springrite]

This is kind of why I don't even get beyond one recording if I'm happy with it. I don't go looking for others unless I feel unhappy in some way with what I have.

Well, this is exactly how I view marriage and the wife.

[Madiel]

Well, this is exactly how I view marriage and the wife.

I wondered if someone would go there... I nearly did.

[aukhawk]

Where do streaming services fit in to this analogy??

[Madiel]

Where do streaming services fit in to this analogy??

Friends with benefits.

[Moonfish]

Liszt
Années de pèlerinage – Suisse
Jorge Bolet

My very first recording of the 'Années de pèlerinage – Suisse' that I bought as a poor graduate student (spending those last few dollars on an expensive cd rather than buying food - know what I mean?).  Even though I have heard many other performances I keep returning to this one over and over. I know we like to compare recordings and partake of new renditions etc. However, I wonder how much of our "ratings" are based on previous exposure, i.e. becoming attuned to a certain recording/rendition. How can a recording one learns to love and recognize not be the one that rises to the top in competition with "strangers', i.e. new recordings that one has had less exposure to? These newer recording may have been our primary recording if it was our very first encounter. Perhaps?   Regardless, ranking works of this kind is of course a subjective enterprise.  Bolet's recording will always be associated with the first journey into the complexity of Liszt's tonal world as my stomach rumbled as I clearly put my money into music rather than food.