[radiodurans]

Would you choose any of these to vote for, or do you have your own suggestions?

Date / ArtistsRecord company

1939 Hale; Boston SO / Koussevitzky / Pearl GEMMCD9487 (2/40R)

1941 Rathbone; All-American Orch / Stokowski / Avid AMSC601 (11/98)

1950 Roosevelt; Boston SO / Koussevitzky / Naxos 8 111290

1954 Baker; New Philh Orch / Leppard / CfP 382230-2

1957 Ritchard; Philadelphia Orch / Ormandy / Sony SBK62638 (11/60R)

1959 Richardson; LSO / Sargent / Decca 458 595-2DF2 (1/92R)

1960 Bernstein; NYPO / Sony SMK60175

1963 Shilling; Czech PO / Ančerl / Supraphon SU3676-2

1965 Connery; RPO / Dorati / London 444 104-2LPF

1969 McCowen; Concertgebouw Orch / Haitink / Philips 442 278-2PM2

1974/75 Gingold; VPO / Böhm / DG 415 351-2GH

1985 Wogan; Boston Pops Orch / Williams / Philips 412 559-2PH

1986 Sting; COE / Abbado / DG 429 396-2GH (4/91); 073 4267GH

1986 L Prokofiev; SNO / N Järvi / Chandos CHAN8511 (5/87); CHAN10484; CHAN2022 (10/06)

1986 Previn; RPO / Telarc CD80126 (5/87)

1988 Gielgud; Acad of London / Stamp / Virgin 562497-2 (9/89R)

1989 Nicholas; Czecho-Slovak Rad SO / Lenárd / Naxos 8 550335; 8 550499

1989 Lee; English Stg Orch / Menuhin / Nimbus NI5192

1991 O & G Prokofiev; New London Orch / Corp / Hyperion CDH55177

1991 Forrester; Montreal Metropolitan Orch / Grossmann / CBC SMCD5118-2

1992 Pöysti; Helsinki Rad SO / Saraste / Ondine ODE793-2

1993 Stewart/Martin/Müller-Westernhagen/Bosé; Lyon Opéra Orch / Nagano / Warner B0927 49636-2

1997 Everage; Melbourne SO / Lanchbery / Naxos 8 554170

1997 Dowell; Royal Op Orch / Murphy (Royal Ballet School) / ArtHaus 100 102

1999 Henry; ens / Pési / Virgin 561782-2 (5/00)

2002 Loren; Russian Nat Orch / Nagano / Pentatone PTC5186 011 (2/04)

2006 Philh Orch / Stephenson (dir Templeton) / ArtHaus 101 804GB

 

[Forster]

Well the one I'm used to is Sting/Abbado. It was used in a live/Spitting Image puppet production by the BBC in 1993 (Roy Hudd impersonates Prokofiev, Abbado appears as himself).

I also enjoy the other pieces on the disc, including the Classical Symphony.

Readers might like the survey by Gramophone magazine...

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/featur...-wolf-a-complete-guide-to-the-best-recordings

(which may be the place you got the list?)

 

[Chilham]

I have Sting/COE/Abbado.

 

[Art Rock]

I have two versions:

1986 L Prokofiev; SNO / N Järvi / Chandos CHAN8511 (5/87)
This is of course special as the narration is done by Prokofiev's widow.

and one not mentioned in the OP:

1993 St. Petersburg RTVSO / Gorkovenko / Sony
This is a rather rare version without narrator.

 

[Ethereality]

I really enjoy the playing here:

The Bird - Symfonický orchester Slovenského rozhlasu

 

[Brahmsianhorn]

My favorite version:

1957 Boris Karloff / Mario Rossi, Vienna State Opera Orch. (Vanguard)

 

[NoCoPilot]

P&TW is all about the narrator, so my top three are:

• Michael Flanders with Philharmonia Orchestra, Efrem Kurtz, 1959
• Vivian Stanshall with Jack Lancaster, Robin Lumley, Brian Eno, Manfred Mann, Chris Spedding, etc., 1976
• Weird Al Yankovic, with Wendy Carlos, 1988