Thank you so much, Ralph. Yes indeed, your survey was quite clear and I had no trouble understanding it. The confusion has been caused by my lack of similar clarity! When I asked for a discussion of "pure Dresden" recordings, I should have explained that I meant recordings composed 100% of the Dresden edition, without any snippets of Paris in either Act 1 or Act 2.

Usually, when I listen to Tannhäuser, I like the Paris refinements. But sometimes they sound to me slightly intrusive--almost like little blobs of Tristan shoehorned into the midst of Der Freischütz--and on those occasions I pine for the simplicity of Dresden undisturbed.

I have the Haitink recording, but have never been happy with its casting decisions. I've often wondered whether Janowski might be preferable (Simon Thompson made it a Recording of the Month in these pages). But surely a 2013 cast would be likely to have at least as many problems as Haitink's!

That's the point where I wonder "What would Ralph Moore say?" But perhaps he would say that I'm asking whether it's better to be executed by hanging or by firing squad!