Re: GG: Stokowski

["David B. Daniel" <DanielFamily@worldnet.att.net>]

GG wrote on Stokowski's transcriptions--

>I
>thought of myself as a purist, and I scoffed at the Stokowski
>transcription; nowadays, strange to say, they hardly bother me at all.
>[p 264, from "Stowkowski in Six Scenes" _GG Reader_ 1977-1978]

I have always wondered about things like this when it came to GG.  I have
heard Stokowski's cymbal-crashing transcription of Bach's tocatta and 
fugue in d minor a number of times, and it strikes me as something Stokowski
only transcribed to promote himself.  He assumed (and was right in the 
assumption) that this was the kind of music people wanted to hear.  

I have a feeling that GG's fondness for Stokowski let him overlook  
these transcriptions.  I also wonder why GG chose Stokowski as his 
favourite.  Their interpretations are not similar, and Stokowski (along with
Bernstein) were some of the most popular conductors.  (GG is not known for
choosing the most popular people in any field :)

-David

n.b.  I am not criticizing Stokowski's ability as a conductor.  I have his
      recording of Shostakovich's 5th symph. and it is one of the best 
      I have ever heard.