# Going with conductor...



## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

*...who?*

*Who is your favorite conductor?* Not in a repertoire, not with a catalogue, not with an orchestra -- just, do you have one name that you consistently listen to and appreciate w.r.t music?

Please note certain highlights *and* incongruities in his/her performance repertoire that you feel appropriate to mention. Maybe great in certain realms, uncertain in others -- relay!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Avey said:


> *...who?*
> 
> *Who is your favorite conductor?* Not in a repertoire, not with a catalogue, not with an orchestra -- just, do you have one name that you consistently listen to and appreciate w.r.t music?
> 
> Please note certain highlights *and* incongruities in his/her performance repertoire that you feel appropriate to mention. Maybe great in certain realms, uncertain in others -- relay!


I am sure there's a topic similar to this somewhere , only not one but 5
.

http://www.talkclassical.com/42302-if-you-could-only.html


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## Klassic (Dec 19, 2015)

Herbert Von Karajan: Bruckner Cycle and Sibelius Symphonies, but I listen to him on many many other composers. My favorite thing about him is that he seemed to know how to savor a piece of music... example: Mahler's 9th Adagio... but we are speaking about Karajan, so I could just say, Adagios in general.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Pugg said:


> I am sure there's a topic similar to this somewhere , only not one but 5
> 
> http://www.talkclassical.com/42302-if-you-could-only.html


I ask for your favorite and best/worst of said. That thread and subsequent posts relay multiple nominees--FIVE specifically--and reasons for keeping certain persons in the mind's eye.

Not sure why my thread is preempted in any respect. But whatever.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Klassic said:


> example: Mahler's 9th Adagio... but we are speaking about Karajan, so I could just say, Adagios in general.


Yeah, but, not a particular highlight of his. IMO.


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## Klassic (Dec 19, 2015)

Avey said:


> I ask for your favorite and best/worst of. That thread asks for 5 You would Save... and relays reasons for keeping certain persons rep.
> 
> Not sure why my thread is preempted in any respect. But whatever.


Not to worry about this for several reasons. 1) it's totally impractical to think that new members will search through the vast archives when older members don't even do this, hence there will be repetition, there is always repetition, who cares? and 2) New people often respond to newer threads. I just don't see any problem with repeats. I like the question of this thread. And Avey is right, his thread is a different variation from the one that was mentioned. My advice to older members, who get tired of seeing repeats, is to ignore them.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

When I look at my favorite performances of things, the conductors are all over the map. So the answer is No.


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## Klassic (Dec 19, 2015)

Avey said:


> Yeah, but, not a particular highlight of his. IMO.


Karajan I would say his Bruckner Cycle is some of his best work, while his Gold Cycle of Beethoven's Symphonies is not. But all I am really saying here is that I don't like them.


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Used to be George Szell but more recently, I have been turning to Karl Böhm for a combination of sound and performance quality. I love Furtwängler but the sound quality on most of the recordings tends to be much poorer.

As to why, I find that Böhm adopted a traditional approach, which I appreciate for initial listening, was faithful to the original score from what I have read, yet conveyed the lush sound that I appreciate most, probably because so many of his recordings were with the the VPO. Furtwängler's performances were unique, for me, and it's such a pity that we don't have clearer recordings, although I am grateful for what we do have. Szell was terrific too but more austere to my ears.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Charles Munch was electrifying and versitile as conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in days of yesteryear.

He could be an alert, playful accompaniest for Sviatoslav Richter in the Beethoven First Piano Concerto; the best interaction I've ever heard in a concerto between pianist and orchestra.

He was practically peerless in the French repertoire making definitive recordings of the Berlioz Requiem and Symphonie Fantastique as well as the Saint Saens Organ Symphony, all with the BSO.

Maestro Munch was also a terrific Brahms conductor. His recordings of the Brahms First and Fourth Symphonies with the Boston Symphony are my favorite recordings of these works.

He had a reputation of being rather undisciplined, but his passionate performances are what I remember.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Carlos Kleiber for me. His versions of Beethoven's 5th and Schubert's "Unfinished" are unmatched in my experience and anything else I've heard him conduct has always been fresh and stimulating. Weakness: a somewhat limited recorded repertoire which makes me wish he had cast his net wider.


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## Martyn Harper (Jan 27, 2016)

I know that Karajan is completely out of fashion these days but his 70s Beethoven Symphony cycle is my favourite (and I have listened to many different recordings of these works over the last 35 years). I also think his performance of Death and Transformation by Strauss is the best I've ever heard. Karajan's Mahler 9 is my favourite recording of this great work. I am also a fan of Charles Dutoit. His recordings of both Saint Saens Organ Symphony and Rimsky Korsakov's Sheherazade are the finest I have ever heard.


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2016)

Klassic said:


> Not to worry about this for several reasons. 1) it's totally impractical to think that new members will search through the vast archives when older members don't even do this, hence there will be repetition, there is always repetition, who cares? and 2) New people often respond to newer threads. I just don't see any problem with repeats. I like the question of this thread. And Avey is right, his thread is a different variation from the one that was mentioned. My advice to older members, who get tired of seeing repeats, is to ignore them.


The thread in question is about a week old...

My advice to you is to show some respect.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

I really enjoy Leonard Bernstein. Some highlights include Haydn's Symphony No. 103, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, and Saint-Saen's Piano Concerto No. 4.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I just did a sort on my collection database which is organized by compositions (i.e. a 5 minute piece and a 2hr opera both count as 1 item), and here are the top 6...

Simon Rattle
Vernon Handley
Neeme Jarvi
Otto Klemperer
Richard Hickox
John Barbirolli

There are many more well known names represented albeit further down in the list. As I look at this group to try and decide a favorite, I would want to pick someone who had a wide range, whether or not they were successful across the board, and that would reduce it to 3... Rattle, Jarvi and Barbirolli.

- Jarvi I generally like and he has done some really good work but he isn't someone who I immediately think of as best.
- I have liked Rattle since I first watched him in his late 20s on his regular visits to Los Angeles. He has a propensity for micro-managing works but one that I think has decreased over the years. He certainly has a very wide range and it is increasing (I would never have thought of him as a notable Wagnerian but his Rheingold of last year says that he is moving in that direction). Give him another 10 years and he will probably be at the top of my list.

So that leaves John Barbirolli. Apart from his very well regarded work with 20th century British repertoire, he was equally comfortable with Mahler & Bruckner (and was there before many other big names), the central Austro-German repertoire (e.g. his Brahms piano concerti), Sibelius and Italian opera.

My current favorite of his would have to be his Mahler. I often reach for his 1st (from 1957!), 2nd and 9th before others.
Weakest ... I don't go to him for Beethoven or the French repertoire.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

There are perhaps 15 conductors I like in particular, but I have no single favourite and through the years I have found uninteresting or weak recordings by all of them. 

Scherchen, Celibidache, Karajan, Ormandy, Furtwängler and Rozhdestvensky are some examples of those with a recorded legacy of very varying interest or quality, IMO.


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## Klassic (Dec 19, 2015)

nathanb said:


> My advice to you is to show some respect.


Damn, I feel like I'm receiving a lecture on the symmetry of Mozart.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

If I were to pick one favourite based on consistent quality of output then it would be Vernon Handley.
His long championing of British music, with rarely less than glowing critical reviews seal the deal


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I too am all over the map. I tend to link favorite conductors with time periods or nationalities: Jordi Savall for early, Harnoncourt for classic era, Abbado for romantic (maybe), Vernon Handley or Bryden Thompson for post romantic English music, Boulez for much of the 20th century repertoire.


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

Absolute favorite: Karajan. No shame either. Come at me, TC! I don't know what it is but I've listened to some pieces and thought, "Huh?" Then I hear HvK and it suddenly makes a ton of sense. Love the sounds he wrings out of the Berlin/Vienna Phil, love how he's unpredictable as to whether he's going to be calm and laid back or fast and aggressive. 
Other go-tos: Solti, Previn, Klemperer, Ormandy, Bernstein, Giulini, Szell. 
Believe it or not, I have actually been just as interested in finding a specific ORCHESTRA than a specific conductor. If a piece has epic brass parts then I might find myself looking for a Chicago Symphony recording regardless of whether Reiner/Solti/Levine/Abbado/Barenboim is conducting. It will always sound good.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I see Szell mentioned frequently. Can someone explain to me what I'm missing? I've found his Beethoven desultory or even borderline boring. Maybe it is too subtle for me.


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

Weston said:


> I see Szell mentioned frequently. Can some explain to me what I'm missing? I've found his Beethoven desultory or even borderline boring. Maybe it is too subtle for me.


"Never judge a conductor by his Beethoven."


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

I usually don't pay attention to the conductor or orchestra when I listen to music, so it's hard for me to say exactly, but I started a list a couple of months ago where I would add information when I particularly like a performance.

Based on this list, my favorite conductor is Karajan, but then again, I have 53 conductors on the list, and Karajan only has 7 recordings that I liked, so maybe that's not enough of a sample size to say with any certainty.

I have noticed that I also seem to consistently enjoy Simon Rattle's recordings. I have also noticed that I haven't really liked much of Szell either, although I do have his Brahms 4 on my list.

_[EDIT: Oh yeah, regarding specific pieces, I seem to like Karajan mostly for his tone poems (Sibelius, Respighi, Grieg), with a couple exceptions. I like Rattle's Sibelius and Mahler.]_


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

This is so dependent on what repertoire is in question, no conductor being satisfactory in all music, that I can't choose a single favorite.

But the one who fills me with holy awe is Furtwangler.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

When I started to listen to classical in the early 70's, I was on a college student's budget. I therefore gravitated toward the budget LPs, and a great deal of George Szell's discography was available cheap. His recordings of the central European classical/romantic repertoire became my cornerstone. He's still the most reliable conductor for me in that field, although his recordings are not always my first choice, in part because the Epic/Columbia engineers treated him so badly.

(And I know the legend - old wives' tale? - about Szell's speaker placement.)


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Weston said:


> I see Szell mentioned frequently. Can someone explain to me what I'm missing? I've found his Beethoven desultory or even borderline boring. Maybe it is too subtle for me.


Gee - I hear energetic, not desultory. Try his Mozart. I've posted elsewhere that his recording of the Haffner is what opened my ears to that composer (and for that matter, the classical era). The Cleveland Orchestra was a wonder to behold under him.

Edit - the Szell/Fleisher Beethoven piano concerto cycle still tops every other one I've heard.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Anyone have a conductor they _always_ avoid, for a previous bad taste, or a lifetime of regret?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Avey said:


> Anyone have a conductor they _always_ avoid, for a previous bad taste, or a lifetime of regret?


Lukas Foss

In the 'usually avoid' category would by Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta and Seiji Ozawa


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Saw Vasily Petrenko recently conducting Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and he was wonderful. Also, my favourite violinist conducts and he is just lovely. Joshua Bell.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

But...Petrenko doesn't like the idea of lady conductors. Bad bad bad boy! But...why can't I get excited and indignant over this? Best to enjoy his music and ignore his silly opinions, eh? Smile and nod, that's the ticket.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Karajan for me, for his extensive repertoire and recording legacy.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Weston said:


> I see Szell mentioned frequently. Can someone explain to me what I'm missing? I've found his Beethoven desultory or even borderline boring. Maybe it is too subtle for me.


Listening to one of my favourite Beethoven symphonies at the moment, the 2nd. It's conducted by Szell and I really like what I'm hearing.The second movement is gorgeous, just the right tempo for me, I don't like it played too fast.
Cheers


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Becca said:


> Lukas Foss
> 
> In the 'usually avoid' category would by Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta and Seiji Ozawa


Yes, I avoid Mehta. But then he did the best Mahler 2nd, the VPO recording on Decca. Go figure.And I have hardly any Ozawa. But I quite often 'dig' Maazel.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Yes. I avoid Sir Geog Solti. Everything he does is V8, sonic boom, crash bang, thank you maam.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Yes, and I avoid Sir Simon Rattle even more than Sir Georg. Maybe my aversion to the whole notion of knighthood is the problem.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Judith said:


> Saw Vasily Petrenko recently conducting Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and he was wonderful. Also, my favourite violinist conducts and he is just lovely. Joshua Bell.


My only experience with Mr Petrenko is with the much praised Shostakovich series on Naxos. I find them very,very underwhelming. Give me Sanderling and Kondrahin any day.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

dieter said:


> Yes, I avoid Mehta. But then he did the best Mahler 2nd, the VPO recording on Decca. Go figure.And I have hardly any Ozawa. But I quite often 'dig' Maazel.


Probably the worst Mahler 2nd I ever heard in concert was with Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. There was very little subtlety in either tempi or dynamics. I think that he was trying to out-Solti Solti!!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

dieter said:


> Yes, and I avoid Sir Simon Rattle even more than Sir Georg. Maybe my aversion to the whole notion of knighthood is the problem.


Must be that as there is very little in common between the two of them.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

Becca said:


> Must be that as there is very little in common between the two of them.


Apart from an adulation by the public and critics which is beyond my comprehension. There are so may things I will never understand.


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