This Odyssey budget pressing has long been favorite of ours here at Better Records. It’s too bad that most of them don’t sound very good, with the shrill, hard string tone we’ve come to expect from Columbia in the ’60s. Fortunately this pressing does not have that problem! We played a number of these recently, and this copy was the best of them all on BOTH sides!

Side one is really rich and warm with lovely, smooth strings that don’t get shrill. It’s very hard to believe that there’s a much better sounding copy out there. Side one of course has the complete Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.   

Side two is nearly as wonderful but doesn’t have all of the life that side one gives you. Still, it’s a knockout — we gave side one a conservative grade of A++ to A+++ and side two earned itself an A++.

This Odyssey pressing sounds superb, far better than the originals we’ve played, not to mention other copies. In fact, this is one of the best sounding versions of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik around!

Side two is made up of other Mozart favorites. Walter is the man for Mozart. You won’t find a better interpreter for this music on any other record, at least not one with which I am familiar.

“It needs some maturity to understand the depth of emotion that speaks in Mozart’s seeming tranquility and measure.” — Bruno Walter

“Each of these little masterpieces is shaped lovingly, with a perfection of detail that is never permitted to pull the over-all structure out of line…” — High Fidelity

TRACK LISTING

Side One

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegretto
IV. Allegro

The Impressario Overture
Cosi Fan Tutte Overture

Side Two

The Marriage of Figaro Overture 
The Magic Flute Overture 
The Masonic Funeral Music