Eric Goldberg wrote:

>Karl Miller stated:
>
>>And on the subject of Ormandy, while I have never been a great fan
>>of his interpretations,
>
>I tend to agree that Ormandy's interpretations were more safe than
>inspired, but my recent acquisition of some of his Minneapolis recordings
>showed him to be a more interesting interpreter early in his career than
>he would be during his heyday with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
>
>Have others come to the same conclusion?

I should add that one of my favorite Ormandy performances is his first
(mono) recording of the Rachmaninoff Third Symphony.

Over the years I have heard a wide range of opinions about Ormandy.
One of my friends attributes his early success with Philadelphia to his
having inherited Stokowski's orchestra.  Other have pointed out that he
was superb at lighter things like Waltzes...suggested in part by his
background as a string player.

I have little sense that he was a great intellect or a man of great
passion.  Someone told me the story about the first performance of
Thompson's Trip to Nahant.  Ormandy gave the first performance...told
the composer that the piece would never be played since it ended quietly
(and indeed it has yet to be recorded---one of my favorite Thompson
pieces).  When Ormandy performed it, he cut out about two-thirds of
the piece.

Writing this I am reminded of Ormandy's recording of the Schuman Sixth.
Only when I heard broadcasts by deWaart, Bernstein, et al, did I really
appreciate the depth of expression in the work.

Karl