# Missed Opportunities



## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

The Pro Arte Quartet's wonderful series of 29 Haydn String Quartets for HMV was interrupted by WW II and never resumed. John McCormack hoped HMV would record him singing in a complete 'Dream of Gerontius' with Elgar conducting, but the project was not considered to be commercially viable. Rachmaninov's offer to record all of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas was turned down by RCA Victor for the same reason. What other 'might-have-beens' have record companies been guilty of missing out on?


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Herbert von Karajan never recording a Sibelius 3rd Symphony and Leonard Bernstein never recording a Mahler 10th Symphony. While I'm at it, it's too bad Karajan never recorded a complete Mahler cycle and that Bernstein never did complete Bruckner or Nielsen cycles.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

RCA Victor also turned down Rachmaninov's suggestion that his last concert tour be recorded.


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## Nocture In Blue (Jun 3, 2015)

christomacin said:


> Herbert von Karajan never recording a Sibelius 3rd Symphony and Leonard Bernstein never recording a Mahler 10th Symphony. While I'm at it, it's too bad Karajan never recorded a complete Mahler cycle and that Bernstein never did complete Bruckner or Nielsen cycles.


I think Bernstein did the right choice not to record a complete Mahler 10th. I hate the completed versions.
But it is a shame that Karajan never recorded Sibelius 3rd.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

I'd have loved to hear complete cycles of the Beethoven sonatas from Solomon and from Emil Gilels. Those they *did* leave us are magnificent.


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## Nocture In Blue (Jun 3, 2015)

I would have loved to hear Sviatoslav Richter play Prokofiev's third piano concerto.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

*Leonard Bernstein:* I would've love to see him record the second Sibelius cycle under DG. Judging from what we've heard so far, the project was on its way to become something really special.
*Leonard Bernstein:* It would have been interesting to see how he would handle the music of Franz Schmidt, given Bernstein's high credentials in performing German music.
*James Levine:* Given how he excelled in Wagner and Mahler, it is a shame that he chooses not to record Bruckner.
*Yevgeny Svetlanov:* I would've love to see him record all of Shostakovich's symphonies and even his opera "Lady Macbeth."
I think that's all I could think of.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

christomacin said:


> Herbert von Karajan never recording a Sibelius 3rd Symphony and Leonard Bernstein never recording a Mahler 10th Symphony. While I'm at it, it's too bad Karajan never recorded a complete Mahler cycle and that Bernstein never did complete Bruckner or Nielsen cycles.


Because they didn't want to ... HvK apparently didn't like the 3rd and Bernstein didn't believe in the 10th


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

Would have been nice if Yevgeny Mravinsky could have been cajoled into recording Shostakovich's fourth symphony - did he actually ever conduct it?


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Animal the Drummer said:


> I'd have loved to hear complete cycles of the Beethoven sonatas from Solomon and from Emil Gilels. Those they *did* leave us are magnificent.


I don't think that you can blame the recording companies for missing these opportunities - Gilels died before he could complete his, and Solomon was incapacitated by a stroke.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

I recall comments at the time that DG didn't push on with the Gilels set as quickly as they might have. Can't remember similar observations about Solomon, so fair comment about him.


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

In Charles Barber's memoir 'Conversations with Carlos' he relates the confused circumstances that derailed the planned recording of the Emperor concerto with Kleiber conducting and Michelangeli at the piano.
Such a shame!
Graeme


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Although I couldn't locate the sources, I kept reading on different sites and reviews that *Glenn Gould* was planning to record all 10 *Scriabin* sonatas; he passed away before the plan was realized.

Many love to attack his recordings of the 3rd and the 5th as dry, cold, academic, expressionless, bizarre, etc. I actually enjoy these two recordings and his deconstructive approach, since I rarely get to hear the "layers" in Scriabin's writing so cleanly painted.

From the opera world, fans usually bemoan the fact that *Maria Callas* never got to record many of her greatest roles in the studio (Lady Macbeth, Armida, Anna Bolena, La Vestale, Abigaille in Nabucco). In addition, EMI failed to capture her La Traviata in a studio recording when she was at the peak of her artistry, due to a contract issue. The role was then given to a more ordinary cast.


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

András Schiff, Yuuko Shiokawa and Boris Pergamenschikow should've recorded the complete Haydn trios, the two volumes they did together are fantastic. I think Pergamenschikow's untimely death in 2004 might have something to do with this, but I'm not sure...


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Bernstein did record the opening adagio of the Mahler 10th . But it certainly would have been fascinating to hear him conduct the completed version by Deryck Cooke . 
I aso wished Solti had left a recording of Schoenberg's "Gurrelieder ". This would have been right up his alley . And unfortunately, he died 20 years ago , shortly before he was scheduled to make his second recording of "Tristan " . The first one with Nilsson isn't perfect , but it's still a lot better than its many detractors would have us believe . They could have had a better Tristan, but Fritz Uhl isn't bad and doesn't ruin the recording . 
I wish Abbado had recorded all nine of the numbered Bruckner symphonies . He recorded the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th , the first symphony twice with the VPO . As far as I know, he never even did the 8th live, which is puzzling . 
I will never forget the Bruckner 7th he and the VPO gave n Carnegie hall years ago . This was one of the greatest musical experiences in my life . 
James Levine has declared Bruckner not to be his composer . Leonard Bernstein was not all that enthusiastic about Bruckner either , and he felt that he could not possibly compete with Karajan with this composer anyway . 
I also wish Karajan had left a recording of the 9th with the completed finale . 
And too bad Carlos Kleiber didn't record all nine Beethoven symphonies for DG . As well as all four of Brahms . And so much else .


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Reiner/CSO was scheduled to record "Rite of Spring" for RCA in 1960-61....it was cancelled because Reiner became ill,and changed the schedule, it never got done....too bad, it could have been cosmic!!
Reiner also wanted to record complete Beethoven Symphony set for RCA, but that didn't get done either. There are recordings of complete Beethoven symphonies by Reiner/CSO, but they come from several different sources.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

Although there were plenty of operas filmed in Italy during the 1940s and 1950s, they neglected to film any performances of Maria Callas at the height of her powers. We only have a few fragments filmed after her voice was already in ruins.

Although Callas sang at the Met over 20 times, only one performance was ever recorded.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

No filmed recordings from Bayreuth in the 50s is a real missed opportunity.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Major loss: Emil Gilels unable to complete the DG Beethoven Sonata cycle before passing away, missing numbers, 1,9,22,24 and gulp, 32. Its disastrous that we don't have a #32 from one of the very greatest Beethoven interpreters.


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

According to Herbert von Karajan's bio, plans were made and then abandoned for him to conduct the Chicago Symphony during a visit to the US. That would have been a fascinating combination. I would love to have heard a Bruckner or Mahler symphony from it.


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