I find it all very simple.  The greater fondness I have for a particular
piece, the greater number the number of recordings of it I must possess.
Both quality of recording itself and interpretation, original vs.  modern
instrument and performance practice are issues.  It even comes down to
whether or not I prefer to hear a late Haydn Symphony with or without the
harpsichord (fortepiano) continuo.  When it comes to concerti, different
soloists, cadenzas, and recording techniques (solo instrument emphasis)
make HUGE differences.  Lastly, is anyone unwilling to attend a concert in
which one of the major pieces included have been heard many times before?
The more familiar I happen to be with a work, the more performances of it
I have to hear simply to see how they all compare and stack-up with
one-another.  If one has consider the downside of just having so much time
to listen in one-lifetime, the less I intend to waste mine listening to a
piece of music that I dislike or have no admiration for.

Norman Schwartz
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