First impressions of the new LP were good. What sturck me at once was the pleasing, natural bloom of the recording, set comfortably in a generous concert hall acoustic. The first movement repeat was, for once, taken and the playing was good, with Andrew Marriner's clarinet making a most mellifluous sound. But then doubts began to rise. Although the clarinet has a strong tone quality it should surely not dominate the ensemble quite so much and important passages for other instruments were, as a result, not registering with the correct weight; and there seemed to be a rather matter-of-fact quality in the music-making. My reservations became stronger as the performance progressed. The second Andante movement proved to be a rather cautious and reticent affair; the Scherzo was short on energy and lightness of spirit; and the fourth movement variations developed a weary plod. Not until the last movement Allegro, where the music rather sets up its own momentum, did matters improve.
Maybe my reaction was just mood of the moment, I thought, as I replaced the Eminence LP with the ASMF's version on Philips. But then I was forced to sit up. That performance had a generosity of spirit, a lightness of touch, and a warmth of heart which is captivating. The balance was better, even if the analogue recording was not quite so refined, and the playing was full of charming, graceful accents and inflexions. How elegantly Iona Brown's violin seemed to float the theme at the beginning of the fourth movement, and how satisfyingly the pace and exhilaration of the last movement rounded off the performance.
There's a slight paradox in that while the ASMF have a very British sound, their performance seems to capture the Viennese quality of the work—they are even a little reminiscent of old Austrian ensembles like the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet. But though the New Vienna Octet on Decca Ace of Diamonds sound Viennese enough in timbre, theirs is a dryer, more modern style, not quite so satisfying, though pleasing enough on its own terms. The music Group of London (ASV) do not quite reach the same standard. While it would be good to recommend the new bargain Eminence LP it is the full-price Philips version which will in the end give best value for money.'