Leaderboard

The Astrud Gilberto Album by Astrud Gilberto (1965) https://album.link/i/1469584204 Example: We all need a little more Gilberto in our lives...

So based on this post I took some time and loaded my queue up with a pretty good pile of versions of the 3rd. A couple weeks ago I started listening to just under 50 of them. Well, I am here to say that after listening to the following I have stopped the project. There are still many in my queue. There are just too many versions and only a few that I am really excited about. So. I don't really have write-ups on these. But the last three, I didn't like. Those are the ones that I got to and the rest of these I touched on.. Mostly the first and third movements as a reference. So - what did I like. I did like the Szell/Cleveland that started this. A very balanced performance and recording. Makes lean into it rather than it coming at you. It got me more interested in the second movement more than just about every other recording. The rest of these were at the top of my list (not in order) when I pulled the plug on this project. They are all worth a listen for various reasons from pace, to recording, to getting some of the complex/awkward parts right. For me that is. I really do like the piece, but I did find it hard to listen to this over and over. An interesting project for sure. That said, if there is a recording and performance that I 'have' to listen to, please recommend. I have no issues listening to it, I am just no longer interested in a survey. I had a friend recommend the Manze/Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra - and it was very good. Cheers.

I've been listening to the audiobooks of the hobbit & LOTR on my commute

you might want to try stereo: Gunter Wand;Ndr Symphony Orchestra (specialist in Germanic symphonies c.f brahms, bruckner) herbert blomstedt;Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Staatskapelle Dresden;herbert blomstedt André Cluytens;Berliner Philharmoniker igor Markevitch;Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux mono: erich kleiber;vienna po (dad of carlos kleiber) felix Weingartner;london so (first complete recorded beethoven symphony cycle) paul van kempen;berlin po (conductor of kempff classic 1950s beethoven piano concerto cycle) The marmite option: if you like "period instruments historically informed": roger norrington;london classical players

The Old Country by Keith Jarrett (2024) https://album.link/i/1766716830 Example: Lots of pretty notes on this one. From a 1992 performance. Not too much of what I call the Keith kazoo (him singing along).

Not listening via speakers or headphones, but in my head I've been hearing Cher's "Believe" but in a Country format. I've been internally interpreting this for a few days now, with a baritone, male vocal. I think this song would lend itself to Country quite well.