What’s not to like? Sure, a lot of Mozartean water has flowed under the bridge since Neville Marriner and his crack ensemble became “the standard” for chamber orchestra performance, but fine musicianship speaks for itself and there’s plenty of that here. On the whole, Marriner’s judicious tempos and clean string playing favor the G minor symphony, which comes across as lively and graceful, with a certain reserved pathos that strikes me as just right. The “Jupiter” could use a bit more “oomph” from trumpets and drums and a bolder attack on the finale in particular, but the slow movement is gorgeous and there’s little to disappoint. The sonics (from the early and late 1970s) have held up well without being especially outstanding. At the price, you can’t go wrong.
