You are absolutely correct Dacostab, it depends upon the piece of music. Perhaps it would be interesting for some to get the perspective of a musician who has worked with these conductors: Kurt Mazur, great with the big Germanic works; lame with Mozart or Haydn and almost grotesque with Gershwin. James Levine, great musician with great technique and extremely meticulous with subtleties; obviously at his best with opera. Dennis Russell Davies, amazing technician with rare clarity that facilitates the performance of new works which often incorporate very complex rhythms. Ricardo Muti, conducts the way he is as a person; very elegant. Marin Alsop, very enthusiastic but not really in the same league as the great conductors. Nemee Jarvi, my all time favorite; great time (rhythm) with a certain vigor to his conducting that makes you want to play your best. There are many factors that affect how successful a performance (recording) will turn out to be. It is not only the conductor's predilections or limitations that are important. Some orchestras don't play certain music (composers) as well as others and there is only so much that a guest (or regular)conductor can do to wring a good performance of a given work out of them. Some orchestras simply don't like certain conductors and that can be very tricky for a colaboration to be fruitful. One thing that you will hear orchestral musicians always discuss among themseves is wether a conductor trusts them. In other words, there is a sense (or not) that the conductor will not panic and perhaps make unreasonable demands if something is not exactly right the first time around. That trust usually leads to the best and most spontaneous performances. Happy listening.
