If you want to buy a record of Michael Jackson Thriller, just type the title and the listings will appear. You can buy second hand or brand new from your local stores. But if I want a record of Beethoven Symphony No. 5, there are hundreds of titles conducted by dozens of conductors, performed by hundreds of orchestras.
Unlike pop recordings, the performers play according to the scores written by the composer. Though they all perform the same scores, there are different interpretations, and listeners have their preferences. Record labels do not publish all of them on streaming platforms. Even if they do, it can be a challenge to find the recording that you like. This is because you need to find the conductor and the orchestra. To complicate matters, record labels always reissue the recordings with different cover designs or compilation. Or if could be a re-recording by the artist, of which you would need to find out the year of recording to nail down the actual version that you want.
Comparatively, pop artist recordings are so much easier to find, because they usually only have one version of the song which is associated to the recording artist, not the songwriter. So, if I were to search for “Michael Jackson Thriller”, you will find it instantly. But try searching for “Vivaldi Four Seasons” and you will find numerous recordings by different conductors, orchestras.
For instance, in “2001: A Space Odyssey”, the famous three-note horn motif you hear in the movie is “Also Sprach Zarathustra” opening theme performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic. However, in the original soundtrack album, another recording was inserted due to licensing disagreement.
So, Classical music lovers, this is where collecting Classical albums is more essential than collecting mainstream albums. As I always try to sample the album before buying, finding the right recording for the Classical albums is difficult. Even after I found it and if I did not bookmark it, it would take me some time to find again. Now, if I had owned the vinyl record, I would have no such problems. I can just pull out the record and play it on the turntable.
Which Are My Most Collected Classical Compositions?
I asked myself this question while I wrote this article, so I did a count and realised that I have the most copies of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”, hands down my favourite Classical symphony. I love the themes and motifs, the syncopation, the intensity and so many dissonance chords to create tension. And even when the first movement is more than 15 minutes long, it never felt long and draggy.
My first copy of “Eroica” I owned was a CD conducted by Georg Solti with the Chicao Symphony Orchestra. It had a good pace, but in recent years I found other versions that are more dramatic and faster, which made Solti’s version sounded like a walk in a park.
- Wilhem Furtwangler with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, 1952
- Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
- Sir Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Arturo Toscanini with NBC Symphony Orchestra
- George Szell with The Cleveland Orchestra
In second place is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, an honestly overplayed piece, but I ended up collecting quite a few copies because I loved the different styles these performances offer to this iconic composition.
- Carlos Kleiber and Wiener Philharmoniker (rated the best performance)
- Sir Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (collected because it’s a Promo white label copy)
- Herbert von Karajan and Berliner Philharmoniker (1977)
- Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra
My third most collected Classical composition is Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
- Nigel Kennedy, English Chamber Orchestra (1989). A revolutionary performance at the time.
- Chloe Chua, Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Child violin prodigy from Singapore
- Christopher Hogwood and The Academy of Ancient Music. A tame performance but collected because Promo white label.