After having read Glenn Gould's essay on his 'Desert Island Discs' (Orlando Gibbons' Hymns & Anthems, Sibelius' 5th Symphony, Schnabel playing Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto) I drag Emma around Fnac & find the first two.

I've just listened to the Sibelius all the way through and admit to being utterly underwhelmed.

Is it due to Gould's recommendation which somehow creates false expectations? Nothing short of an epiphany will do?

Is there some kind of 'contagion' expectation - that if Person I Admire likes This then This must automatically be Good? Perhaps.

Is it something about my ears and symphonic music? Probably.

Which set me thinking about a list of orchestral music which does do something for me. In no particular order:

1. Beethoven's Symphonies: 3, 5, 7 & 9 plus the Piano Concertos

2. Stravinsky's Ballets: Firebird, Petrushka & The Rite of Spring plus Symphony In Three Movements

3. Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony & plenty more

4. Mahler: no.s 1,2,3 & 5 especially

5. Bartok: Piano Concertos, the Concerto for Orchestra

6. Britten: Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

7. Webern: in small doses (no joke intended)

8. Schoenberg & Berg: the lush stuff

9. Ravel: Piano Concertos & plenty more

10. Debussy: Jeux (otherwise it's more the solo piano & string pieces)

11. Wagner: opening of Rheingold plus the Siegfrid Idyll (i.e. without voices!)

12. Varese: what else do you expect from a Zappaphile?

Is there any sense to the list? A predilection for colour & texture? Rhythm? Fragmentation of form?

And why Sibelius - like Brahms - leaves me cold?

If anyone could enlighten me, I'd be very grateful. What am I missing?