Quoting Steve Schwartz <[log in to unmask]>:

>You know, fifty and sixty years ago, you got your shot with The
>Classics when you had proven in concert that you had something to say.
>For example, Solti wasn't picked out of the blue to conduct the first
>integral recording of the Ring.  He showed first that he was a great
>Wagnerian in the opera house.

That's not completely true.  IIRC, John Culshaw commented in his book
"Ring Resounding" that Solti was somewhat young and inexperienced at the
time of the Ring recordings, and that it was a bit risky to choose him
to do the project.  Culshaw had to go to bat with Decca to get Solti,
if I am not mistaken.

Kevin