Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov

For excitement, Stokowski/LSO on Cala, though the over-the top Phase 4 sonics will never win any audiophile awards for refinement. The Cala issue is greatly superior to any previous CD issues.

In my opinion, the best three versions have already been mentioned. Reiner is more conventional and dynamic, Stokowski with the London Symphony is dynamic AND ravishing and Beecham is somewhere in between the other two. You can't go wrong with any of them.

I love this piece, and haven't heard a bad one. Some are better than others,but I can't get enuf.

In terms of recording, the 1993 DG CD (Myung-Whun Chung and Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille) is really good - probably one of the best recorded CD's I own. I only bought it since they have part of it on the Burmester test CD (#3), which I really enjoyed. When I went to buy the Scheherazade CD, I was surprised at the price - $32 - someone must be buying it. But I did, and it did not disappoint. It also comes with The Firebird.

My favorites from performance standpoint are Boston Symphony - Ozawa conducting, and the above cited Reiner.