Actually, I find greater variation in performance among major orchestras/conductors than among modern mch recordings. Or, at least, the differences are more important to me. And, subjectivity aside, there are name brand performances that suck and there is consensus as this.

That said, the SFO 8 is one of the few performances of that piece that make sense to me.

Kal

Kal Rubinson
"Music in the Round"
Senior Contributing Editor, Stereophile