[vunderba]

Now just imagine you lived during the romantic period of music where the virtuoso's highly personal interpretation of the piece was not only encouraged - it was downright expected.

Even today where the printed note is considered sacrosanct - you'll still find that artists are able to inject quite a bit of their own personality into a piece.

Great example is the Well-Tempered Clavier as performed by Glenn Gould versus Sviatoslav Richter.

[djtango]

Despite all that I still find myself so drawn to interpretations by Rubinstein and Perahia that prize themselves on their restraint.

Although Argerich is my goddess so who knows

[nullhole]

Dvorak's cello concerto in b minor, Rostropovich vs Yo-Yo Ma

(I'm strongly in the Rostropovich camp, myself)

[graycat]

Some Rostropovich, second movement of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, as at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyAMvctMEbI

[koverstreet]

Jacqueline du Pré played this with fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_yxtaeFuEQ