"D. Stephen Heersink" wrote:

>Every once and a while I need to reassure myself that I have the very best
>recording of something (usually when I need to thin out my collection to
>make room for more).  I took the day to listen carefully to a number of
>recordings of Sibelius' Violin Concerto, and Heifetz and the Chicago SO
>under Walter Hendl on RCA were the clear winners.

I agree Heifetz recorded the Sibelius concerto probably better than
anybody else but the trouble is he did it at least three times:  with
Hendl, Beecham and Mitropoulos.  It's the last one I like best, it's even
more fiery and full of energy, even more compelling than the one with Hendl
IMO.

Philip