Ignorance is bliss, then. If you knew the piece well (follow with a score), you'd find that recording riddled with mistakes. It’s one of the most appalling CDs in my collection. This along with hearing of Kurtág’s disappointment at how little Abbado cared about getting his Stele right, on the same disc, really turned me off the conductor.
Surely it's just the DG sound I like? I understand the Eotvos is correct-err- it's just that his acoustic is just a bit tighter than I'd like, and the DG acoustic just sounds (in my head an idealized) 1955 beer hall. My point is- with Beethoven, eventually, you will get enough recordings where you will find one that pleases every aspect of your (one's) particular set of values. With 'Gruppen' we may only get one two or three more recordings in our lifetimes (conservatively), so, what are the chances Eotvos will rerecord the piece for DG according to my fantasy so I can hear the piece and receive it correctly?
Or flippin' Boulez recording 'Gruppen' for Chandos, or whatever- I just wish the Eotvos disk's ambience exploited the spacial element or - something- (ack, it's good and all, but I'm a sucker for DG sound sometimes... I feel it "swallows" KHS's timbres more so I can digest the proceedings better?).
No one's arguing Abbado's competency... DG sounds good for the wicked and the righteous alike.
Anyhow, I took Abbado for a spin and got most of the way through. KHS's playfulness still came through for me in spots,... and the play of the groups, almost as a fun kid's game, was apparent. The spacial element was somewhat discernible... the acoustic helped AND hindered here (typically cavernous DG- I know I know I just said I liked it!).
I know the 'electric' guitar isn't really, and, yea, sure,... I don't know it's so hard for me to be anal about Harry.
Let's get a Chailly/Concertgeboow,... Salonen/LA,... everybody... Dudamel Plays Stockhausen... Ling Ling Plays Stockhausen... Bernstein/NY

I Will Judge No Stockhausen Before Its Time (Paul Masson)