"Pictures From Exhibition" best recording?

The Richter recording is by far my favorite even with the sound quality limitations. Richter's recording was, in fact, a big reason why the original paino piece began to be played again in the West.

For me, both sound and performance are very important. Therefore "emotion and Feel" are key elements. I think the version performed by Dorati and its piano coupling with Byron Janis on Mercury stands as a timeless pairing on one disc. Get this Mercury CD by all means. While a few have panned The newer Reference Recordings version with the Minnesota Orchestra, I believe its sound and impact to be the equal of the 1980s Telarc Maazel Version which has been a standard for years.

I very much go with Gregm. I also like Fritz Reiner's version with the CSO. Jonathan's suggestion makes me curious, although generally I cannot bear big orchestral music on CD, even if its done by RR...too used to and spoilt by vinyl.

with the Janis/Mercury recording....
I find the piano version very uninspired..almost mechanical.. and sonically , at least on my gear, it is as though
the piano is miked too closely..perhaps it is the remastering...
On the other hand, the orchestral version is moving and emotional...and worth the price of the cd for it alone.

ok, here i go out on the limb. my very favorite is TOMITA!
the presentation is nearly visual with the synthesizer as he performs it. of course i love the orch and piano versions and the organ versions too.
the orch version o prefger is the lorin maazel/clevleand/telarc which is verrry powerful in the great gate. yoel levys version on telarc is also right in there too, as is the reiner on rca.
sorry but the elp is to vomit for. i know that there are those that feel the same way about the tomita as i do about ELPs but this is life. allice artzt a classical guitarrist agrees here.
another version is the guitar version by kazuhito yamashita, a masterpiece on rca. this doesnt seem to be avail at towerrecords.com, keep trying the used LP bins. he also does 'new world symphony' by dvorak which i dont have.
....regards.......tr