_Conductors – Munchinger

Bach / Brandenburg Concertos / Munchinger

More of the music of J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

  • This wonderful 3 LP Box Set boasts rich and Tubey Magical Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER on all SIX sides
  • All six sides play about as quiet as any UK pressings from this era every do (and with no audible marks), making this is a very special copy indeed
  • There are only two complete Brandenburgs that we like for music and sound, this Munchinger on Decca/London from 1959 and the Britten from 1969
  • When you have enough of each for a shootout, and can play them side by side, you hear the differences between 1959 and 1969, but choosing one over the other when they can both be so good is a lot harder than it sounds
  • There are about 150 orchestral recordings we think offer the best performances with the highest quality sound. This record is certainly deserving of a place on that list.

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What to Listen For on Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Mozart Available Now

On most copies the strings are slightly drier and more harsh and steely than one would want, occasionally turning strident in the louder passages.

As always, proper VTA adjustment — by ear — is critical to getting the strings to sound their best.

More advice on setting your VTA.

An extended top end helps the harmonics of the stringed instruments immensely.

Here are some other records that are good for testing string tone and texture.

The more resolving copies will show you more of the hall, which greatly adds to the sense that you are listening to live music, not a record.

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Mozart / Eine Kleine Nachtmusik / Munchinger

More of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Hot Stamper Classical and Orchestral Imports on Decca & London

  • Stunning sound throughout this vintage London pressing, with both sides earning Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) grades – just shy of our Shootout Winner
  • This copy has the clarity, space and transparency that recreates the live event and really lets you hear into the music
  • Karl Munchinger is of course an expert on Mozart and here he does not disappoint – it’s a top performance with sound to match
  • You will have a very hard time finding a better Eine Kleine Nachtmusik on record, sonically or musically
  • Need we even bother saying it’s guaranteed to beat the pants off of the Speakers Corner pressing of the Decca of the same performance from 1994? No? Okay, we won’t
  • If you’re a Mozart fan — and what audiophile wouldn’t be? — this London from 1961 is surely a Must Own

What to Listen For

On most copies the strings are slightly drier and more steely than one would want, occasionally turning strident in the louder passages. As always, proper VTA adjustment — by ear — is critical to getting the strings to sound their best.

An extended top end helps the harmonics of the stringed instruments immensely.

The more resolving copies will show you more of the hall which adds to the sense that you are listening to live music, not a record.

Is It Live?

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Eine Kleine Nachtmusik on Speakers Corner – Reviewed in the 90s

Hot Stamper Classical and Orchestral Imports on Decca & London

We were impressed with the Speakers Corner pressing of this album when it came out back in 1994. We wrote at the time:

Probably the best sound and performance of the Eine Kleine available — highly recommended!  

We haven’t played a copy in years, so let’s call it a “B” with the caveat that the older the review, the more likely we are to have changed our minds.

Our Hot Stamper classical pressings will be dramatically more transparent, open, clear and just plain REAL sounding, because these are all the areas in which heavy vinyl pressings tend to fall short in in our experience.

Bach – The Musical Offering / Münchinger

More of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

  • A superb Decca stereo pressing with Double Plus (A++) sound on both sides
  • This recording is from 1976, more than a decade later than the one we recently offered on London from this conductor — the sound holds up though
  • Engineered by the brilliant James Lock at Schloss Ludwigsburg palace in Germany, you can feel the cool air of the recording venue
  • Karl Münchinger understands this music and makes it come alive – the Decca engineers are of course a big help too

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Bach – Musical Offering / Münchinger

More of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

More Imported Pressings on Decca and London

  • A spectacular Demo Disc recording that is big, clear, rich, dynamic, transparent and energetic
  • Engineered by the brilliant Roy Wallace at one of our favorite recording venues, Victoria Hall, this is the glorious sound that has not been heard on vinyl (or any other medium) for more than fifty years
  • The Tubey Magical richness is off the charts on this copy – if you want to know what kind of sound wins shootouts around these parts, this pressing will show you
  • It knocked us out and it is guaranteed to do the same for you

We used to sell the Speakers Corner Decca pressing back in the late ’90s. It was one of the better offerings from that reissue label, and today would probably earn a sonic grade of B or so.

There is a world of difference between a reissue — even a good one such as the Speakers Corner — and the real thing, on either Decca or London press.

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Beethoven / Famous Beethoven Overtures / Munchinger – Reviewed in 2011

More of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of Beethoven

This British London Blueback original pressing has better than A+ Hot Stamper sound on both sides. The music is lively and well-played, as one would expect from the venerable Karl Munchinger leading the Vienna Phil.

The sound is quite good but very different for each of the two sides. For more on the sound please see our notes below. (more…)