Here is more exercise in worthless fun.  Down to fifteen or so I would
defend the ranking.  After that, it gets a little foggy.

1. Hans Pfitzner
2. Mengelberg
3. Vaclav Talich (one of the truly greats)
4. Karl Bohm (one of the best all around Beethoven cycles)
5. Fritz Busch
6. Thomas Beecham
7. Carlos Kleiber
8. Fritz Reiner
9. Early Walter
10. Guilini
11. George Szell
12. Rodzinski
13. Steinberg
14. Klemperer
15. Stokowski
16. Rafael Kubelik
17. Malcolm Sargent
18. Ormandy
19. Pierre Monteux
20. Mogens Woldike
21. Andre Cluytens
22. Bernard Hermann if only for his legendary Ives #2
23. Leonard Bernstein, early and late
24. Arthur Fiedler
25. Frubeck de Burgos
26. Charles Munch
27. Jean Martinon
28. Klaus Tennstedt Mahler Cycle
29. Even earlier Karajan
30. Pinnock, Gardiner, Thomas Jensen, Launey Grondahl,
Horenstein, Von Beinum each for their singular contributions
31. Spike Jones
32. Fred Warning and His Blenders
33. Edward Heath and the Conservative Caucus
34. Phil Spitalney and His All Girl Orchestra

"Andrew Carlan" <[log in to unmask]>