The sound of this CD is very agreeable, warm and full, with detail very marginally more refined than the LP, although the difference is not so striking as on some CDs. The fullness certainly suits Marriner's essentially lyrical approach to the Serenade, but tends also to under the degree of blandness in the performance which is no match for his earlier Argo LP version, recorded when the Academy was at its early peak. In 1969, there was a glowing zestful joy in the music, matched by outstanding precision in the playing itself; but that is not available on CD.
The Nutcracker suite is well done but slightly undercharacterized, Karajan (DG) is stronger and the Berlin orchestra play superbly, but there is also some lack of charm. The sound is clearer but with slightly less bloom. In the Serenade (coupled with Dvorak's Serenade—again on DG) Karajan is at his finest and the BPO are in superlative form. The approach is splendidly alert and energetic with the utmost bravura of ensemble in the demanding outer movements, the Waltz elegantly cool. The sound on CD is DG's finest, with a notably rich and resonant bass to offset the bright upper range and splendid stereophonic detail.'