Classical

Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey prompted a flourish of LPs excerpting the timpani and organ pedal opening of Also Sprach... One wonders how many non-Straussians would stomach the whole Nietzschean epic! In fact, Karajan’s Decca version was used for the film. This one is from 1973, his first of two Berlin remakes (both engineered by Günter Hermanns), and perhaps the most satisfying. With close balances, the rich-textured sound rivalled the audiophile 1962 Reiner/RCA. However, Speakers Corner has made a remarkable recut, raising the level and eliminating some obvious compression which marred DG’s own 1974 LP.

Sound Quality: 88%