Steve Schwartz:

>I know of no Pictures (Ravel orchestration) as majestic or as
>blazing as Szell's, including Gergiev's.

I love Szell's version very much, but I think Rafael Kubelik's Chicago
Symphony version on Mercury takes the prize.

Chris Mullins noted that his CD of the Szell also contains 'a shimmering
"Enchanted Lake" by Liadov' and 'a fine R-K "Capriccio Espagnole" and
Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina prelude'.  The one I have has Prokofiev's
Lieutenant Kije and Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite.  A check of a few online
outlets failed to find the CD Chris mentioned, but I was surprised to
find a SACD containing Szell versions of Pictures, L'Arlesienne and
Peer Gynt.  Presumably all contain the same 1963 recording of Pictures,
appropriately tweaked.  Does this mean the companies are expecting us
to buy hideously expensive SACDs of all the stuff that's already been
reissued on CD?  Here's one person who won't be!

Richard Pennycuick