Len Fehskens:

>Curious that no one thinks it's meaningful to ask "what's the best
>picture of Michaelangelo's David?".  Why is music any different?

Because music is "happening" whereas a painting just "is".  The musical
"work" as created by the composer is but a collection of ink blurbs on
a sheet of paper.  The transformation into a truly grand piece of human
creativity is only when it is performed.  As performances differ, there
is the option to consider one superior to another.  Perhaps it's apt to
call the score an "idea" and the performance "reality".

Jan