The quote that leaps out at me now comes from a violinist, who requested anonymity: “He tries very hard with Mozart and Haydn… But he doesn’t know the meaning of the word elegant. He doesn’t have classical ideas about sound. Elegance and charm—he doesn’t know from that. That’s a terrible thing to say, and I feel bad saying it, because he hired me. It’s not like he’s not trying; he’s just barking up the wrong tree, looking for answers in the wrong places.” So note how that New York Times “essential recordings” list lacks core repertoire. I couldn’t get through his Brahms First and never tried the other three. The Haydn and Mozart escaped release. Beethoven, perhaps, gave him more to grab onto, but when people remarked on the Greatest Ozawa performances they’d say mention Schönberg, Bartok, or Stravinsky.

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