Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier [Box set]

On this CD:

1. Der Rosenkavalier, opera, Op. 59
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Gundula Janowitz, Yvonne Minton, Kurt Moll, Luciano Pavarotti, Lucia Popp
Conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Fritz Reiner Conducts Richard Strauss [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

Reiner's Chicago Richard Strauss: A Touchstone
Reiner's Strauss
NOBODY conducted Richard Strauss better!
Simply the Best

Fritz Reiner Conducts Richard Strauss [Box Set]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003G5X
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Sunrise
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of The People Of The Unseen World
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of The Great Longing
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of Joys And Passions
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Dirge
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of Science
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 The Convalescent
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Dance Song And Night Song
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Night Wanderer's Song
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero's Adversaries
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero's Companion
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero's Battlefield
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero's Works Of Peace
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 The Hero's Retreat From The World And Fulfillment

Tracks:

Don Quixote, Op. 35 Introduction
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Theme: Don Quixote, The Knight Of The Sorrowful Countenance
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Sancho Panza
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation I: (The Adventure With The Windmills)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation II: (The Battle With The Sheep)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation III: (Dialogue Of Knight And Squire)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation IV: (The Adventure With the Penitents)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation V: (The Knight's Vigil)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation VI: (The False Dulcinea)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation VII: (The Ride Through The Air)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation VIII: (The Adventure With The Enchanted Boat)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation IX: (The Combat With The Two Magicians)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Variation X: (The Defeat Of Don Quixote By The Knight Of The White Moon)
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Finale: (The Death Of Don Quixote)
Don Juan, Op. 20

Tracks:

Elektra Elektra's Soliloquy: Allein! Weh, Ganz Allein
Elektra Recognition Scene: Was Willst Du, Fremder Mensche?
Elektra Finale: Elektra! Schwester! Komm Mit Uns!
Salome Dance Of The Seven Veils
Salome Final Scene: Ah! Du Wolltest Mich Nicht Deinen Mund

Tracks:

Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53 Bewegt
Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53 Scherzo
Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53 Wiegenlied/Cradle Song
Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53 Adagio
Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53 Finale
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 Overture
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 Minuet
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 The Fencing Master
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 Entrance And Dance Of the Tailors
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 Entrance Of Cleonte
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 Prelude To Act II (Intermezzo)
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite, Op. 60 The Dinner

Tracks:

Burleske
Der Rosenkavalier: Waltzes
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Introduction
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of The Inhabitants Of The Unseen World
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of The Great Longing
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of Joys And Passions
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Dirge
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Of Science
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 The Convalescent
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Dance Song And Night Song
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 Night Wanderer's Song

Customer Reviews:

Reiner's Chicago Richard Strauss: A Touchstone.......2004-10-09

Fritz Reiner was more than a fanatical, perfectionistic musical technocrat...His greatest recordings are stamped with undeniable
humanity, humor, flexibility, even charm- apart from their
bedrock interpretative honesty and (I choose these words carefully) sheer lust for quality. All these things are represented by Reiner's fabled Living Stereo Chicago recordings of Richard Strauss.

Of course, there are gaps : no AUS ITALIEN or MACBETH, and no ALPENSINFONIE; you must turn to Rudolf Kempe's Dresden box for definitive stereo versions of these. And Reiner's only stereo versions of TOD & TILL (Vienna, 1956) are on a Decca Legends disc. Now, John Culshaw waxed enthusiastic about these sessions, because, no doubt, Reiner got the Vienna to play more accurately than Culshaw & Co. were used to hearing them play. But, overall, these versions lack the focus and sheer characterization of the 1950 RCA mono versions. (The mono TILL is finally available in the Reiner volume of GREAT CONDUCTORS OF THE 20th CENTURY. The TOD UND VERKLARUNG was available on a 1990 BMG CD, coupled with an earlier transfer of the SYMPHONIA DOMESTICA than the one in this present box. This TOD is currently available on a German BMG 2-fer ( # 74321846082), along with Reiner's '54 ZARATHUSTRA & HELDENLEBEN, and Eugen Jochum's ( ! ) TILL.)

With those details out of the way, what a LIVING STEREO treasure chest, here! And all 20-bit remastered, in that famous warm, sweet, tube-electronicish sound from the master tapes...Let's take them on, in order of recording:

The March 1954 HELDENLEBEN (just LISTEN to it, I won't waste space trying to describe it), starts off a journey into a lost world of disciplined melos and relative historical proximity to the composer himself. The '54 ZARATHUSTRA (admittedly with an orchestra-and-organ pitch clash, at the end of the Sunrise) and the SALOME DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS are still "demo" recordings...The December '54 DON JUAN is even more urgently passionate than the 1941 Pittsburgh version or the 1960 remake (which IS available, coupled with all of Reiner's Living Stereo Wagner).

The SALOME & ELEKTRA scenes, with Inge Borkh, are stupendous;
too bad RCA Victor didn't spring for one more singer and include Klytaemnestra's dream sequence- the most bone-chilling part of the score. (Search out Reiner's 1952 Met broadcast of ELEKTRA, with Astrid Varnay.)

The BURGER ALS EDELMANN Suite of April 1956 (minus the 5th & 6th movements) is one of the greatest Strauss recordings of all time: awash in tonal beauty, yet acerbic in its ruthless satire of Monsieur Jourdain. A wiseass-ness coupled with extremely disciplined culture. Which shows why he was Fritz Reiner, and we're not.

As if all that weren't enough, six months later Reiner achieves the impossible: he miraculously holds together the sprawly,
nearly-out-of-control structure of the SYMPHONIA DOMESTICA,
and brings out the humor and high spirits which this piece
MUST have if is is not to either fall apart, or come off as hopelessly trivial.

The BURLESKE of March 1957, with Byron Janis, is not without its poetic structure, and the sparks fly without ceasing- in a way almost identical with (and perhaps more fitting in) their '59 recording of Liszt's TOTENTANZ (which is available on THE REINER SOUND.) For a recording that captures more of this work's subtle wit and beauty, go to Kempe's Dresden version, with pianist Malcolm Frager.

The ROSENKAVALIER WALTZES, in an arrangement by Reiner himself, are good enough to be frustrating, because one finds one self wanting to hear ALL of this opera, with Reiner and his Chicago. (No such luck, but you CAN get Reiner's fabled 1949 MET production on imported Naxos.)

The April 1959 DON QUIOXTE, with Antonio Janigro on cello, is a spell of autumnal regret and incisive musical characterization, never tippping over into the cartoon-like.

Finally, there's the 1962 remake of ZARTHUSTRA, Reiner's very last Strauss recording...The orchestra-organ pitch clash is MUCH less severe, but, overall, it must be admitted that, both sonically and musically, the '54 version has far more electricity and characterization (i.e., "higher highs, and lower lows"). Still, the '62 version is worth having for the greater contemplative warmth which Reiner brings to the last five minutes of the score. As if Der Fritzl were contemplating his own not-too-distant end. This is so affecting that it almost makes one cease to regret that the energy/time/money put into this not-entirely-necessary remake COULD have gone into, say, a Reiner/Living Stereo ALPENSINFONIE, Beethoven's FOURTH & EIGHTH, a LE SACRE, a FIREBIRD, or a Brahms FIRST- to name some of the glaring omissions in the Reiner studio discography.

Still, these recordings opened the commercial way for other eventual treasures, such as Kempe's Dresden set and some of Szell's Cleveland Strauss.

Sadly, this set may "go," soon. Snap it up ASAP and be intrigued, enraptured, and instructed.

Reiner's Strauss.......2003-10-22

Probably no one conducted the music of Richard Strass better than Fritz Reiner. I've heard most of these recordings in other packages, including the original RCA Victor "Living Stereo" LPs. The digitally-reprocessed versions are even more astounding. The earliest of the recordings was made in March 1954 and it doesn't seem possible because the sound is every bit as good as today's digital recordings. It's a real tribute to the RCA engineers, who were experimenting with stereophonic sound using a triple track tape recorder. The 1954 "Also sprach Zarathustra" remains a milestone for intensity, drive, and excitement; the waltz sections are particularly haunting and relentless. The 1962 recording of the same piece is not as sensational as the 1954 version, perhaps because Reiner's health was failing (he died the following year), but it's still quite good. I especially like his "Dance of the Seven Veils" from "Salome"; it is one of the more intense performances of the works, perhaps only matched by Antal Dorati's 1963 recording with the Royal Philharmonic of London for a special Reader's Digest boxed set. Overall, Reiner's performances with the Chicago Symphony were only matched by Strauss' own 1944 recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic, recorded with a Magnetophon tape recorder in the Vienna State Opera House. What a shame that all those recordings are not currently available; they last appeared in a special box set of LPs issued by Vanguard.

NOBODY conducted Richard Strauss better!.......1999-03-24

Fritz Reiner was the greatest authority on the music of Richard Strauss, with the likely exception being the composer himself. RCA knew that they had the "cream of the crop" with Reiner in these works, and had the foresight to accord Reiner cutting-edge 1950's technology (early high-quality 3-track stereo), and the best available recording technicians in this country (Jack Pfeiffer, Leslie Chase, Richard Mohr, and Lewis Layton). You absolutely CANNOT go wrong with purchasing this set, for as the years go by, the pennies spent will continue to return musical dividends that will reinvest themselves with each hearing, as you learn over time just how good Reiner was with this music in comparison to others. Indicative of this was when I attended a banquet featuring National Symphony Orchestra superstar conductor Leonard Slatkin, when someone asked him what recordings he planned to make with that orchestra. He answered that he didn't plan to make recordings of the "warhorses," for why should he make a recording of Richard Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben," when Reiner said all that there is to say about it? Enough said!

The only disappointments (and they are small) are the omission of Reiner's later 1960 recording of "Don Juan" and the recordings of "Till Eulenspiegel" and "Death and Transfiguration" he made with the Vienna Philharmonic, which initially appeared on RCA Living Stereo LPs. The likely reason for the omission of the Vienna recordings is that these are currently under license to Polygram (Decca/London). Buy this set and enjoy/cherish!

Simply the Best.......1998-09-11

Except for the openings of Zarathustra, these are the absolute best recordings of these Strauss tone poems available. Even though they were recorded in the 50's and 60's the recorded sound is extremely good, sometimes better than newer recorded sound. The Chicago Brass section was born to play this music

Average customer rating:

Schwarzkopf Edition [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000DO7I
Release Date: 1991-07-01

The Good Life: The Greatest Waltzes, Sonatas and Concertos (Box Set)

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The Good Life: The Greatest Waltzes, Sonatas and Concertos (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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