Posted by Rick Denney on September 11, 2003 at 17:48:03:
In Reply to: Greatest Conductor posted by Gary Press on September 11, 2003 at 08:25:21:
History is too long.
Do you mean the most influential in history? That would probably be Hans von Richter.
Greatest conductor in recorded music? Toscanini, possibly.
But trying to choose among composers in musical terms seems almost impossible. For Beethoven I prefer Norrington. For Vaughan Williams, John Barbirolli. Haitink for the Soviet composers. Bernstein for American composers. Cellibidache for Romantic composers.
The mind reels. Choosing just one? I wouldn't know where to start.
Rick "who hasn't heard nearly enough to assign 'greatest'" Denney