The sweetness of the Vienna string sound comes over with even more refinement in this CD transfer, though differences between CD and LP are marginal. As I said in my detailed comments on the original issue, there is much here to demonstrate clearly how far Sinopoli is from being cold and machine-like. The Nabucco Prelude is here a degree warmer than on his complete DG recording of the opera with the Berlin Opera Orchestra (410 512-2GH2, 5/84); partly a question of acoustic. There are two other Verdi overture collections in the CD catalogue: Chailly's on Decca (410 141-2DH, 12/83) and Abbado's on RCA (RCD31378, 5/84). All three have the four most celebrated overtures—Forza, Luisa Miller, I vespri siciliani and Nabucco—but Sinopoli adds preludes rather than more overtures. Though Chailly, more direct with brighter recording, has points of advantage, and Abbado has a real rarity in the long discredited Aida Overture, Sinopoli's is the most individual issue, the colletion which with a fair proportion of lyrical preludes brings the best-balanced programme.'