Fritz Reiner Conducts Richard Strauss

On this CD:

1. Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 40
Composed by Richard Strauss

Conducted by Fritz Reiner

2. Der Bürger als Edelmann (Le bourgeois gentilhomme), suite for orchestra, Op. 60
Composed by Richard Strauss

Conducted by Fritz Reiner

3. Don Juan, tone poem for orchestra, Op. 20
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Henri Temianka, Vladimir Bakaleinikov
Conducted by Fritz Reiner

4. Don Quixote, fantastic variations for cello & orchestra, Op. 35
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Gregor Piatigorsky, Henri Temianka, Vladimir Bakaleinikov
Conducted by Fritz Reiner

5. Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, cycle of 4 songs for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Gustav Mahler
Performed by Carol Brice
Conducted by Fritz Reiner

Tracks:

Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero - Hugo Kolberg
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Opponents - Hugo Kolberg
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Companion - Hugo Kolberg
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Deeds Of War - Hugo Kolberg
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Deeds Of Peace - Hugo Kolberg
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Flight From The World And The Fulfilment Of His Life - Hugo Kolberg
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Overture - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Minuet - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: The Fencing Master - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Entrance And Dance Of The Tailors - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Minuet Of Lully - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Courante - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Entrance Of Cleonte (After Lully) - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Intermezzo (Count And Marquise) - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Der Burger als Edelmann, Op. 60: Dinner Music And Dance Of The Kitchen Maids - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Don Juan, Op. 20 - Henri Temianka
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Introduction - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Don Quixote - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Sancho Panza - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation I - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation II - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation III - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation IV - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation V - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VI - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VII - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VIII - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation IX - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation X - Gregor Piatigorsky
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Finale - Gregor Piatigorsky
Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen: I: Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht - Carol Brice
Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen: II: Ging heut Morgen uber's Feld - Carol Brice
Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen: III: Ich hab' ein gluhend Messer - Carol Brice
Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen: IV: Die zwei blauen Augen - Carol Brice

Customer Reviews:

Reiner's Pittsburgh Strauss: A Missing Chapter, Restored.......2004-10-06

As everyone knows, Fritz Reiner was one of Strauss's most trusted collegues and interpreters, and actually worked with Strauss, in Dresden, from 1914 to 1921. Reiner had been in Pittsburgh for over two years when he made his first Strauss recording: the DON JUAN of January 1941. Nearly world-class playing, and the sound quality is amazingly good, coming as it does from Columbia 78s...After the final, orgiastic climax (which is none-the-less passionate for being so precisely executed), there follows a spooky pause of 7 seconds (14:51 to
14:58), capped by the dying dissolution of the Don. In spite of their excellence and sonic splendor, neither of Reiner's Chicago stereo remakes of 1954 or 1960 could quite recapture this...It's downright ontological...One of the GREAT Don Juans.

The DON QUIOXTE of November 1941 is next, with Gregor Piatigorsky's superlative solo cello. Now, war-time Columbia 78 pressings are notorious for their noisiness...And, of course, by the time this DQ was released, we were at war. The miracle is that the transferring work of Rick Torres is so good that, even with a higher "noise-floor" than with the other Strauss items in this set, you still hear all those crisply-minted textures, and need not apply "imagination" to fill in any acoustical "holes." The interpretation is equally as great as Reiner's 1959 Chicago stereo remake. There may be just a tad more spontaneity here, even if the "Windmill" episode seems, when compared to the '59, a bit "rushed" (to fit this passage onto one 78 side?). Still, Reiner makes it seem musically LOGICAL, even inevitable.

The BURGER ALS EDELMANN Suite (February 1946) is Reiner's only complete one, with great feeling for satire and superbly transferred sound - even if some of the woodwind playing, in the 4th thru 7th movements, is enough to give one pause (Reiner deleted the 5th & 6th movements in his 1956 Chicago stereo remake).

The HELDENLEBEN of November 1947 (Reiner's final recording in Pittsburgh) is as passionate as it is articulate, making the most "music" possible out of the Battle episode, and lacks nothing in pathos when we come to the Finale. Still, Reiner's Chicago stereo remake of 1954 has the edge, sonically and musically.

At some point, SONY may release pristine transfers from the original lacquer masters (as may have been done with DON QUIOXTE, before SONY axed its Masterworks Heritage project a few years back; because a Masterworks Heritage "sampler" has this DON QUIOXTE's Finale, in newly refurbished sound). But until that elusive time (and I wouldn't hold my breath), these are the best transfers we are likely to ever have of a valuable chapter in the recorded history of Richard Strauss, of Fritz Reiner's stupendous art, and of North American orchestral performance.

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:

Reiner Redux
just highlights
Incredible!
EL DR. REINER, COMO SIEMPRE 5 ESTRELLAS
Stunning performances of Wagner excerpts

Reiner Conducts Wagner

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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 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: B00000GV4G
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act I
Die Meistersinger: Prelude To Act II
Die Meistersinger: Dance Of The Apprentices
Die Meistersinger: Procession Of The Meistersingers
Grderung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Grderung: Siegfried's Funeral Music
Don Juan, Op. 20

Customer Reviews:

Reiner Redux.......2002-11-19

In my early musical years I developed an affinity for Reiner and the CSO. Over time, though, I have become a bit more select in my appreciation of their recordings. In this case, a case of wretched excess - although one could attribute this to the technology of the time, it seems more likely that the brass sections' blaring enunciation is more likely reflective of interpretive disinhibition than technical limitations. A flawed performance.

just highlights.......2002-06-12

while i am a fan of getting the entire Der Ring, because that is the only way to truly experience Wagner's stellar music, this is an excellent recording, especially of Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey. for the Funeral March, i recommend the actual Der Ring with Solti conducting. that has more passion and takes its time for a stronger build up than Reiner does here. Still this is an excellent collection.

Incredible!.......2000-04-07

I'm a huge fan of Wynonna's! Girlfriend has soul like no other. I think that she gets better and better with age. She reaches deep into her soul to bring out the best in every song. On this compilation, "Can't Nobody Love You Like I Do" and "Who Am I Trying to Fool" are my absolute favorites, but when I really want to jam I put on "Tuff Enuff" to get going. She is one artist that I can honestly say that I have every solo album she's ever cut as well the majority of the work she's done with her mother. That's saying something coming from a Black girl from the Midwest. I've come to realize that soul isn't just R & B. It's any music that makes you feel something and keeps you coming back for more. I've just about played my tape to death already just in the last two months! It doesn't get any better than that!

EL DR. REINER, COMO SIEMPRE 5 ESTRELLAS.......2000-04-07

Para los amantes de la gloriosa música de Richard Wagner, este disco de Fritz Reiner es realmente para disfrutar. La claridad del sonido del perfeccionista Reiner, sumados al carácter brillante y contundente que es la característica de éste Maestro dan como resultado, un disco de primera calidad. El Don Juan de Strauss, es sencillamente una de las mejores opciones en el mercado. El sonido es muy noble.

Fuertemente recomendado.

Stunning performances of Wagner excerpts.......2000-02-11

These performances from forty years ago have never been surpassed for clarity and excitement. RCA's early stereo sound in pre-renovation orchestra hall still sounds impressive. Very highly recommended.

Music Track:

Music Track

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