What mid-boggling numbers of alternate versions (!) -- and what devotion
to assembling 'complete' sets!

I couldn't help but contrast posts in this thread with a prefatory comment
to the American Symphonies Overview article in August's American Record
Guide.  Introducing an annotated roster of ":the most significant, ...
most representative works" in the medium going as far back as 1853, Mark
Lehman writes:

   Most of these symphonies have been released in at least two
   recordings, and some have been issued in many.  Even so, the
   choices are generally more limited than the huge array for most
   standard repertoire, and there remain a number of them -- though
   this diminishes almost every month -- available only in one
   recording.

If we exempt figures such as Hovhannes, Copland, Roy Harris, Antheil,
Ives, etc., I suspect that "many" is c.  5 or under.  No parity here for
this repertoire with the attendtion on disc devoted to older, European
works.

Does this in and of itself constitute a publicity issue for quality
American works?

J L Zaimont

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