Having just listened to a recording of Tchaikovsky's first PC by Horowitz and Toscanini from 1943. It was so refreshing in terms of how different it was. Unfortunately the recording is very old which detracts from enjoyment... but it got me thinking, why are there so few modern performers and conductors who just do things their own way.
Having googled this, a few names which came up are Pogorelich, Norrington, and Currentzis. Having listened to some of their recordings, there honestly doesn't seem to be such a huge difference to the standard stuff to my non-professional ear. This is a pity because its just listening to the same stuff again; an entirely new interpretation would allow you to enjoy the music almost as though it was entirely new. Apparently in the good old days it was accepted for each performer to add their own improvisations here and there.
So are their any modern recordings of famous classical pieces which are genuinely different to the standard versions (edit: but still in a classical style)? Or as a shortcut, any performers/conductors who are known for their wildly different interpretations. Things which would make even the novice sit up and pay attention! Like playing the slow bits fast and the fast bit slow (within reason and as long as the result is beautiful of course). I imagine this type of thing would be dismissed as wild, inaccurate and iconoclastic by the critics and standard opinion, so if there's anything you think of in those terms I want to hear.