# Which is the piece of music you own the most versions of?



## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

Which piece is it?
Why did you choose to collect multiple versions of this work?
How many versions do you own? (Approximate if necessary)
List all the versions you own (optional)
If you have a favorite, which is your favorite and why?
In your opinion, which is the best recorded version of the work that you own?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I don't like to collect different versions. I prefer to find my _favourite_ and then ditch all the others!


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

There's many works which I own well over 20 versions, so I guess I'll start in my thread...


Which piece is it? Mahler's 9th Symphony
Why did you choose to collect multiple versions of this work? I find Mahler's symphonies in general are the most varied in the way they are approached and it really can benefit the listener from hear version after version. The 9th is my favorite work by Mahler, but I actually own more versions of the 2nd as there are more available
How many versions do you own? (Approximate if necessary) about 45
List all the versions you own (optional) (gonna fink out here 
If you have a favorite, which is your favorite and why? Karajan's digital recording is definitely the one which I know best. I also think Chailly does some very interesting things. Haitink's is excellent, as is Ozawa's 2nd recording. Ultimately I go with Karajan.
In your opinion, which is the best recorded version of the work that you own? Karajan's 1982.... one of the best sounding recordings I've ever come across


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

It'd be something that is attached to everything - maybe Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto. Got 2 or 3 in the Argerich box alone. I have maybe 8, and that's about 5 too many, and I think getting more would be a huge waste of time. There's too much other music out there to get if I'm going to spend money. 

Favorite may be Richter.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I have three recordings of Sonata Reminizensa, by Medtner; Kissin, Demidenko, and Milne. I like Demidenko best. I'm not satisfied though, I want the Gilels and Richter.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I have over a dozen Ring cycles. My favorite is all of them for different reasons!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

1/ Das Lied von der Erde

2/ As with his symphonies Mahler's DLvdE soundworld encourages different approaches both emotional and musical so it's both fun and rewarding to compare recordings, especially as Mahler also sanctioned a baritone as an alternative to the alto part.

3/ Nine, which is how it will probably stay as I'm just shy of possessing nine recordings of each of Mahler's symphonies - nothing significant in the number but the symmetry seems agreeable.

4/ Walter/Ferrier/Patzak (Decca). Boulez/Urmana/Schade (DG). Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich (EMI). Horenstein/Hodgson/Mitchinson (Descant). Karajan/Ludwig/Kollo (DG). Bernstein/Fischer-Dieskau/King (Decca). Haitink/Baker/King (Philips). Tennstedt/Baltsa/Koenig (EMI). Katsaris/Fassbaender/Moser (Teldec)*.

* piano reduction

5/ Probably the Horenstein and the Klemperer (plus the Ferrier 'Der Abschied' because of her own circumstances at the time) but I listen to them all equally as often and find different things to like.

6/ Probably the Boulez as regards clarity but the Klemperer has got that old Abbey Road/Walter Legge warmth and depth to it.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I don't have more than two versions of any single piece. I try not to duplicate works if I can avoid it, but sometimes something I already own is coupled with a piece I really wanted to own. Now with Spotify it's even less likely I will duplicate anything as my purchasing has dropped quite a lot.

Kevin


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

I used to think one was enough...'definitive' is dull especially when it comes to vocal works

Strauss - Vier letzte Lieder - 12 - best: Janowitz maybe
Mozart - Requiem - 8 1/2 (1/2 for string quartet version) - best: Böhm maybe
Gershwin - Summertime - about 30 not sure they are all the Gershwin song - best: no clue

I really want that Katsaris piano version of Das Lied von der Erde now, I loved his reductions of the Beethoven symphonies.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

1. Sibelius - Symphony No. 2
2. I just accumulate stuff like a sponge... with money... Sibelius was probably a week long obsession a little while ago
3. Eight
4. Bernstein, N. Järvi, Segerstam, Monteux, Maazel, Celibidache, Sanderling, Rozhdestvensky
5. Bernstein right now, but I haven't heard Monteux or Maazel yet, so there could be some surprises in store
6. Sound wise? Hmmm... probably Segerstam.


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## skalpel (Nov 20, 2011)

Polednice said:


> I don't like to collect different versions. I prefer to find my _favourite_ and then ditch all the others!


Are you never wondering whether or not there's a better one out there? I mean, how do you know that your favourite is indeed your favourite if you don't continue to listen to others?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde (10)

Why so many? Because of the different versions and because it is my favourite composition of all time.

*Original version for tenor and alto*
My version: Wunderlich/Ludwig/Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestras/Klemperer (EMI, 1967, 63 min)
My version: Kollo/Ludwig/Berliner Philharmoniker/von Karajan (DG, 1975, 66 min)
My version: Patzak/Ferrier/Wiener Philharmoniker/Walter (Decca, 1952, 61 min)
My version: Araiza/Fassbaender/Berliner Philharmoniker/Giulini (DG, 1990, 64 min)
My version: King/Baker/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Haitink (Philips, 1975, 65 min)
My version: Kmennt/Baker/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Kubelik (Audite, 1970, 65 min)

*Alternative version for tenor and baritone*
My version: King/Fischer-Dieskau/Wiener Philharmoniker/Bernstein (Decca, 1966, 67 min)

*Original version for tenor and alto with Cantonese text*
My version: Liang/Mok/Singapore Symphony Orchestra/Shui (BIS, 2007, 70 min)

*Adapted version for tenor and alto and chamber orchestra*
My version: Blochwitz/Remmert/Ensemble Musique Oblique/Herreweghe (HM, 1994, 63 min)

*Adapted version for tenor and alto and piano*
My version: Vorzellner/Haselboeck/Berchtold (Cavi-Music, 2009, 65 min)

It is impossible for me to recommend just one. I have underlined the ones I like best.


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde (10)
> 
> Why so many? Because of the different versions and because it is my favourite composition of all time.
> 
> ...


If I could only have one Das Lied, it would be the Klemperer


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

I have 9 versions of Sibelius' violin concerto (probably more from some collections I've purchased but haven't uploaded into iTunes yet). Why? It is the best violin concerto ^_^ Absolutely one of my favorite works. My favorite recording is with Ida Haendel, with Paavo Berglund conducting Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

I generally try not to duplicate works but I have multiple versions of some pieces which I am particularly interested in.
The highest copies of anything I own is Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier which I have 5 versions of:

Richter (Piano)
Kirkpatrick (Clavichord)
Gilbert (Harpsichord)
Roberts (Piano)
Jaccottet (Harpsichord)

My favourite version is Gilbert's and I am also fond of Kirkpatricks on the Clavichord - I like these versions just because they sound the most beautiful!


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Conor71 said:


> I generally try not to duplicate works but I have multiple versions of some pieces which I am particularly interested in.
> The highest copies of anything I own is Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier which I have 5 versions of:
> 
> Richter (Piano)
> ...


It is only worthwhile in the case where there really could be major differences between the various performances. I own about 6 versions of Mozart's Requiem, and about 4 of them are so close that it was largely a waste of money. Still, there is one that I used to have and lost that I might repurchase, because none of them are exactly what I remember that one being.

But Bach's keyboard music is a case where there are easy to hear differences from one performance to another, especially considering the different kinds of keyboards.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

science said:


> It is only worthwhile in the case where there really could be major differences between the various performances. I own about 6 versions of Mozart's Requiem, and about 4 of them are so close that it was largely a waste of money. Still, there is one that I used to have and lost that I might repurchase, because none of them are exactly what I remember that one being.
> 
> But Bach's keyboard music is a case where there are easy to hear differences from one performance to another, especially considering the different kinds of keyboards.


Yes these are pretty much my thoughts too  - I used to own 7 Sibelius Cycles but it got kind of redundant so I've managed to pare it down quite a bit!!


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## AlexD (Nov 6, 2011)

I have 3 versions of Mahler 2. A 1963 Klemperer & the Philharmonia, Rattle and the CBSO and the Tennstedt and the London Philharmonic. I enjoy the 2nd a lot, particularly the first movement.

I didn't like the "sound" of the Klemperer so I went for the Rattle to get a more modern sound recording. Reviews of the Tennstedt said it was one of the best. However, I prefer the Rattle as it is more dynamic. I couldn't tell you which is the most correct version. I need to give the Tennstedt another couple of listens before I finally decide.


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm reasonably new to classical music (been collecting over a year), so I'm still discovering a lot of it on the first version - but I have 3 ring cycles and 3 Tristans

*Der Ring Des Nibelungen*
Owned: Solti, Karajan, Bohm
Probably like he Solti best (only got the Bohm yesterday), it is such a milestone in recorded music. As I've only listened to the Solti and Karajan, Solti has the better singers (although it is beautifully sung at times in Karajan, his cast is a bit second rate), although the orchestra is better for Karajan
I think I may be about to purchase the Furtwangler set soon also

*Tristan und Isolde*

Owned: Furtwangler, Bohm, Kleiber
Bohm would be the favourite. Nilsson is electrifying and the fact that it's a live recording adds something to it.
Own so many versions because I think that it's my favourite opera (I know folk tell newbies to avoid Wagner but it was his music I enjoyed first). Will be one I collect a lot of versions of - looking at the Karajan, Barenboim and Pappano sets


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

Beethoven's 9th symphony, for obvious reasons (e.g. one of my symphonic first love).
I have...
Solti with Chicago
Karajan w/ Berlin
Szell with Cleveland
David Zinman with Tonhalle

Favourite is Furtwangler's 1951, but I don't own that so I'll vote for Karajan's.

Then there's Schumann's Piano Concerto :
Martha Argerich
Sviatoslav Richter --> Favourite, although the reason is because I'm a Richter fanatic.
Krystian Zimerman
Maurizio Pollini

Others : 
Beethoven's 3rd, 5th and 7th symphony with either two or three versions (For the 7th, I have two different versions by Kleiber)
Three versions of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto
Two versions of Mahler's 2nd symphony

There's probably more but I'm too lay to list them all.


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## brianwalker (Dec 9, 2011)

I own the most versions of pieces of music that has more versions. It's hard to own 30 versions of the Ring because it's so difficult to stage one that there are very few Rings of adequate quality even. 

At one point I had 20 different versions of Brahm's violin concertos before I narrowed it down and "sold" the fifteen that weren't my top 5. 

Right now I "own" 16 different versions of Bach's Cello suites. 

For operas I have 8 versions of Parsifal and 6 versions of Meistersinger, and 7 Gotterdammerungs, my favorite Wagner works respectively.


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## tgtr0660 (Jan 29, 2010)

Handel's Messiah, of which I have 14 versions, including the atrocious Beecham reorchestration and the less terrible but still unnecessary Mozart one in German. 

Handel's Royal Fireworks music, 12. 

Handel's Wasser Musik, 12. 

Bach's violin concertos, 12. 

Beethoven's 9th, 10. 

Bach's St Matthew Passion, 9. 

Bach's Mass in B minor, 9. 

Mozart's Requiem, 9

And then I have plenty of works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, Schumann, Shostakovich and Sibelius of which I have between 4 and 8 versions. And it's safe to say that I have at least two versions of every single work I like by every composer in my collection, including operas (though in this case I have more than one version only of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Mussorgsky's Khovanchina (2) and Boris Godunov (3).).


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Like many others here I am trying to build a broad collection rather than a deep one. However, for a while I met regularly with friends who would select an opera of the week. On the Sunday we would all bring whatever versions we had, together with piano scores, full scores, books, notes, articles etc. and we would listen to/watch various versions. Usually we picked one version to listen to completely, and then we picked an aria or two from that to do our comparisons. This was in the interest of time constraints. It was a very pleasant way of spending the afternoon and evening. Sometimes we talk about doing it again, but I think the time is an issue for most of us now.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Moira said:


> Like many others here I am trying to build a broad collection rather than a deep one. However, for a while I met regularly with friends who would select an opera of the week. On the Sunday we would all bring whatever versions we had, together with piano scores, full scores, books, notes, articles etc. and we would listen to/watch various versions. Usually we picked one version to listen to completely, and then we picked an aria or two from that to do our comparisons. This was in the interest of time constraints. It was a very pleasant way of spending the afternoon and evening. Sometimes we talk about doing it again, but I think the time is an issue for most of us now.


Wow, that sounds awesome. I envy you and wish I'd been there!


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Like some others, I like to go for breadth rather than depth so I have the widest range of music available to me - I am less interested in comparing performances. On the other hand, I don't want my ideas of a piece to be straitjacketed because I only know one performance, so I buy multiple copies of works I like (out of interest) or listen to a lot - probably the same ones!

[*]Which piece is it? - Mahler 6

[*]Why did you choose to collect multiple versions of this work? - Used to be heavily into Mahler and believe 6 is his best (and certainly most satisfying for me) work

[*]How many versions do you own? (Approximate if necessary) - 8

[*]List all the versions you own (optional) - on vinyl: Barbirolli, Haitink, Karajan, Bernstein (CBS); on CD: Tennstedt, Szell, Mackerras, Mitropoulos

[*]If you have a favorite, which is your favorite and why? I don't have a favourite - the Mitropoulos is emotionally exhausting, Haitink is still very good, although I don't like Barbirolli, his 6 has some good points

[*]In your opinion, which is the best recorded version of the work that you own? - if you mean engineering/production, the Barbirolli has a lot going for it, the Haitink is self-effacing, but I don't really have an answer.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Beethoven 9 Symphonies, Beethoven Complete String Quartets, Bach Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas & Partitas, Bach Cello Suites, Bach Complete WTC and Bach Goldberg Variations.

I love comparative listening!!


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

12 versions of Mozart's Jupiter, and 11 of 40th:

Tate (best for 41), Pinnock, Bernstein, Menuhin, Britten (best for 40), Walter, Klemperer (#41 only), Giulini, Davis, Bohm, Szell, Harnoncourt.

9 versions of Mozart's Piano Concerto 20:

Perahia, Rubenstein, Bilson, Gulda, Moravec, Shelley (best), Kovacevich (best 1st movement), Serkin, Pires

7 of Berlioz's Symphonie: 

Bernstein, davis, Munch, Mackerras (best), Martinon, Monteux, Previn

7 of Beethoven No. 4:

Drahos, Toscanini, Kleiber, Walter (best but no repeat), karajan, Klemperer (best with repeat), hickox

7 of Tchaikovsky No. 4:

karajan, Abbado (both versions), Mravinsky (best), Bernstein, Szell, jansons

7 of Mozart's Requiem of which Hickox is best
6 of the Rite of Spring of which composer himself and Boulez are best tied


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

8 Tristan und Isolde's, 7 Beethoven 9ths, 6 Mahler 9ths, 5 Well-Tempered Claviers, 5 of Mozart's Symphony No. 40.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't know exactly. But I know I do have lots of Brandenburgs (complete sets), Handel's Messiah, Beethoven symphonies, Mozart piano concertos (various).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Verdi: La Traviata, 55 different recording, CD/ DVD


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Pugg said:


> Verdi: La Traviata, 55 different recording, CD/ DVD


Is that your favorite Opera?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

realdealblues said:


> Is that your favorite Opera?


With Don Carlo/ Carlos, still collecting those two.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

I unintentionally have around 7 different versions of Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. I have several Tchaikovsky CDs which use it as filler. I quite like the piece so it's okay.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Pugg said:


> With Don Carlo/ Carlos, still collecting those two.


I keep telling myself I'm going to listen to more opera. I've got 5 of La Traviata (4 on CD, 1 DVD) but I think I've only listened to 2 of them on CD. I think I've got 4 of Don Carlo (3 on CD, 1 on DVD) and I think I've only ever listened to 1 on CD and watched the DVD once. Maybe I'll give those ones a spin in the near future.

Mozart's Don Giovanni, Figaro and Magic Flute are the ones I have the most of. Probably a dozen each. I have close to a dozen Ring cycles too, but beyond Wagner and Mozart I don't have a lot of multiples of Operas, there's a few I have 2 of but that's mostly because of having all of the Karajan box sets and the big Callas box set.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Bartok complete string quartets. I don't have everything available; nor do I want that, but I know that's the one for which I have the most CDs.


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