Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Tchaikovsky Available Now
Sonic Grade: B?
Not sure if we would still agree with what we wrote back in the ’90s when this record came out, but here it is anyway.
Superb! New records just don’t sound any better! This is the complete Nutcracker Ballet as conducted by Ansermet for Decca, a record that sets a standard of performance and sound that is unlikely ever to be equaled, and almost certainly not to be surpassed.
For those of you on a budget, if you can get your hands on one of these for a reasonable price, the Heavy Vinyl reissue would not be a bad way to go.
That’s assuming the copy you buy sounds at least good, similar to the one I played all those years ago, something that cannot be assumed.
But it would make for a good jumping off point.
A Must Own Classical Record (on Vintage Vinyl)
Ansermet breathes life into this ballet as only he can, and the Decca engineering team led by Kenneth Wilkinson do him proud.
It’s an Orchestral Spectacular that should have a place of honor in any audiophile’s collection.
Others that belong in that category can be found here.