The extra vividness and realism brought about on the Compact Disc by having no background sound, not to mention the extra cleanness of sudden dynamic changes so striking in the New World Symphony, has had me going back on all the reservations I made when I reviewed the original LP. I then felt it too understated a performance, but Kondrashin's easy warmth seems most attractive when set against such spectacular yet such warm and rounded sound. As a demonstration disc this has been impressing my visitors as much as any. Not only is the Scherzo superb in the impact of timpani and percussion, the gentle openings of first and third movement have the ears pricking, when there is no background.
EG