I'm wondering as I read this discussion how many of us have listened to a particular recording and been unimpressed by it only to listen to the exact same recording another time and really enjoy it?
I had a rather dramatic example of this recently with a recording of Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2. Based on reviews I read, I purchased a version performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The SACD had very nice sound quality but the performance left me unfulfilled. I was so disappointed that I purchased Andre Previn's rendition, often noted as the standard of performance for this work. It was great to listen to. The music was stirring. A couple weeks passed and I decided to try the Singapore recording again and low and behold I really enjoyed it, both musically and sonically. The only thing I could conclude that may have led to the change in appreciation was hearing the Previn in between and being opened up to new aspects of the work that enabled me to appreciate the Singapore's perspective on the work.
The nice thing now is that I am enjoying both performances! Perhaps there is no ideal performance of a work just performances that reveal different virtues of that work.
I had a rather dramatic example of this recently with a recording of Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2. Based on reviews I read, I purchased a version performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The SACD had very nice sound quality but the performance left me unfulfilled. I was so disappointed that I purchased Andre Previn's rendition, often noted as the standard of performance for this work. It was great to listen to. The music was stirring. A couple weeks passed and I decided to try the Singapore recording again and low and behold I really enjoyed it, both musically and sonically. The only thing I could conclude that may have led to the change in appreciation was hearing the Previn in between and being opened up to new aspects of the work that enabled me to appreciate the Singapore's perspective on the work.
The nice thing now is that I am enjoying both performances! Perhaps there is no ideal performance of a work just performances that reveal different virtues of that work.