The Art Of Fritz Reiner Vol.1

NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner

Dances. RAVEL (arr. Ravel): – Le Tombeau de Couperin. R. STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks; all with NBC Symphony Orchestra 19 Jan. 1952. MOZART: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 “Jupiter”. BARTÓK: Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, both with NBC Symphony Orchestra 15 December, 1946. MUSSORGSKY/SHOSTAKOVICH: 3 scenes from Boris Godunov. KIPNIS: Bass New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra 23 July, 1944. ROSSINI: Overture to Semiramid and RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Quixote, op. 35 with Frank Miller, cello, Carleton Cooley, viola, Mischa Mischakoff, violin; both with NBC Symphony Orchestra 10 March, 1942. MOZART: Overture to The Impresario, K. 486 and: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 and JOHANN STRAUSS II: Wiener Blut, Op 354, all with NBC Symphony Orchestra 5 January, 1947. PROKOFIEV: Lt. Kije Suite, Op. 60 and SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 54, both with The Cleveland Orchestra, 14 January, 1945. HINDEMITH: Mathis der Maler Symphony, NBC Symphony Orchestra, 29 December 1946. BERLIOZ: Roman Carnival Overture and VILLA-LOBOS: Aria from Bachianas brasileiras No. 5 with Bidu Sayão, soprano & Frank Miller, solo cello and BARTÓK: Three Hungarian Sketches and FALLA:Three Dances from The Three-Cornered Hat and PUCCINI: Un bel di from Madama Butterfly with Bidu Sayão, soprano and JOHANN STRAUSS II: Die Fledermaus Overture

Wholenote Discoveries - September 2009
Long before Fritz Reiner became “famous” in the middle to late 1950s he was not unknown to record collectors and music lovers via his all too few recordings for Columbia with the Pittsburgh Symphony. It was not until 1953 and his tenure with the Chicago Symphony and their recordings with RCA, starting in 1954, that Reiner was elevated to the hierarchy of Munch, Walter, Karajan, Klemperer, and the rest. Until that time Reiner was guest conducting, including five seasons at the MET, without having an orchestra of his own. RCA sent their best producer and engineer to Chicago to make those fabulous recordings which are still, 50 years later, in demand. West Hill Radio Archives has issued volume 1 of a collection of Reiner performances pre-dating the Chicago era culled from performances with the NBC Symphony, The Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York, and The Cleveland Orchestra. An early entry is from 23 July 1944 in which Alexander Kipnis joins the Philharmonic in three scenes from Boris Godunov. Kipnis’s Boris was peerless and the three scenes sung here include the Death of Boris. Wisely, these end the CD because any next track would be an intrusion. A brilliant Don Quixote with the NBC features the orchestra’s three first desk men, Mischa Mischakoff, Carlton Cooley, and Frank Miller. Reiner was to meet up again with Miller in Chicago after 1954. The Cleveland entry is from pre-Szell days in 1945 playing Lieutenant Kije and the Shostakovich Sixth. There are 22 performances here, including the Brahms Fourth, Till Eulenspiegel, Mathis der Mahler and arias with Bidu Sayão. As we have come to expect from West Hill, the sound is exemplary, full bodied, very clean and devoid of any distracting artefacts. No caveats here. The enclosed 19 page booklet contains a longish appreciation of Reiner by Chicago music critic, Roger Dettmer. For copyright reasons, this set is not for sale in the United States and is distributed in Canada by SRI in Peterborough. Bruce Surtees

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