David Harbin writes:

>They have a recording on Chandos (BBC Phil) to beat plus an old early
>1960s BBC recording on Music and Arts conducted by Stokowsi himself.

This should not be difficult to do, IMO.  The Chandos, I take it, is the
one conducted by Mathias Bamert.  (Bamert and the BBC Phil also did a
Stoki Bach transcription CD.) In both of these Chandos CDs, I found that
Bamert really didn't have "the Stoki touch."

As for the one on M&A conducted by Stoki, I haven't heard it.  But I
wouldn't be surprised that it bears the same relationship to the original
London (Decca) Phase 4 LP that another Stoki/M&A CD did to ITS Phase 4
release.  That other one included the Ives 2nd Orchestral Set and
Messiaen's L'Ascension.  The Phase 4 LP was a studio job, and was quite
fine (as was the Phase 4 "Pictures").  OTOH, the M&A CD was from concert
performances; same orchestra but different dates and venues.  I thought
that M&A CD which included the Ives and Messiaen was simply dreadful.
It was clear to me that, by that age, Stoki could still pull it off in
the studio but not in a live concert. At least as far as getting decent
performances of Ives and Messiaen out of the Londoners.

Just a word of caution for those interested in the Stoki. But
Knussen/Cleveland certainly has my interest.

Bob Zeidler