Don Satz wrote:

>As most you know, the famous orchestral Pictures at an Exhibition was
>written by Mussorgsky for piano. I was thinking of doing a review project
>of the various piano versions and went to one of my favorite websites(H&B
>Recordings)to take a look at the available recordings.
>
>I was taken aback by all the versions on record - almost forty of them.
>Of course, the Richter/Philips from Sofia is considered the best of the
>bunch. What other performances do you find highly rewarding? I have a few
>other recordings, and I'm not sure that I want to invest in
>dozens of them.

Wow!  Forty versions of the original solo composition!  I have a personal
fondness for Byron Janis (r.  1961) coupled with an orchestral version (r.=

1959) by the Minneapolis Sym conducted by Dorati which is not nearly as
exciting as the mono version recording in the mid '50s   (the mid price
Mercury 434 346-2 I believe is still currently obtainable also has two
Janis' Chopin solos as well.)

Bernard Gregoire
Hingham, MA