Fritz Reiner - The Complete RCA Album Collection

In my opinion, there were only two conductors who never made a single bad record.One was Arthur Fiedler. But, due to the extremely large number of records he made, I doubt that we will ever see a "Complete Arthur Fiedler" box set. (Who could afford it?)The other conductor in this exalted group was Fritz Reiner.The Reiner box set under discussion here is an absolute treasure. I shall not discuss the music, performance, and sound quality themselves about which there have been many, many reviews and articles written over the years; these are easy enough to find if you are interested. And anyone reading this review (or who is interested in this set) almost certainly already knows the quality of the music, the quality of the performances, and the quality of the sound recording. (If you are new to Fritz Reiner and are going to hear his performances for the first time, well, I envy you: you are in store for a real treat! You'll hardly believe your own ears!)Suffice it to say that all of the above characteristics are nothing short of superb, even transcendental. There may be some recorded performances of the included works which equal Reiner's but, at least in my experience, none - NONE - which surpasses them.You will need the included book (well-printed and very informative) to see what is on the individual discs; the back of the sleeves (cardboard reproductions of the original LPs complete with original notes in minuscule-sized - yet easily readable - print) and even the face of the CD itself may not be complete (the labels on the fronts of the CDs show only Side 1 of the LPs from which the CDs derive).The box which contains the CDs itself is made of heavyweight cardboard, beautifully printed in color, and is very space-efficient. It will look nice anywhere you choose to put it.At a person's request, I have placed the list of the recordings in Amazon's Classical Music Forums section within the thread entitled "New Fritz Reiner Box."There will be some who will quibble about "faults" in the notes, "faults" in the remasterings, or "faults" in this or that. In my opinion, any "faults" in this set are trivial and really unimportant. (And when you hear the magnificence of the performance of the 'Eroica" you won't give a d--- whether it is mono or stereo!)Several of the same performances/recordings of works are repeated on two discs because they originally appeared on two separate LPs (the 1812 Overture, for example) but to my mind this is of no consequence. Also Reiner/Chicago recorded several works on two different occasions; both are included in this set. [See the fourth Comment appended to this review for more details.]The CD sides are short; one is even less than 30 minutes (as was the original LP). Again, this is of no consequence, at least to me.My only "quibble" is that I wish this set had been released in hybrid SACD/CD format (or, even better, as 24-bit 192kHz downloads). But even that is a minor point to me as I already own the 17 Reiner discs issued as SACDs (and, if you have SACD playback capability, I recommend that you buy them too even though the sound quality on the discs in this set are superior to any earlier 'Redbook' CDs of the same recordings which I myself have heard previously).I could also mention that it might have been nice had Sony included the "Carmen" which Reiner conducted in 1951 with the RCA Victor Orchestra (Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce, Licia Albanese, Robert Merrill, a "dream" cast if there ever was one!). I believe that it was his only complete opera recording.All that being said, I'll recommend that you just don't worry about any minor "quibbles."I believe that you should just sit back and enjoy the music.I STRONGLY recommend that anyone interested in classical music BUY THIS SET. I believe that it will indeed become the one of the most important sets in your collection.A Personal Note: my parents gave an "RCA Victor New Orthophonic High Fidelity Record Player" (a blonde mahogany consolette on four legs) to me in the summer of 1956. It was my first record player which could play 33 1/3 and 45, as well as 78 RPM records. I can't tell you how happy I was. I thought it was the be-all and end-all of hi-fi!Though I had little money (being only 13 years old), I started buying records when I could. And I soon discovered that I had to "sneak" them in, something at which I became quite proficient (how about you?).On Sunday, February 17, 1957, my parents had some friends over and they all went out for the afternoon, leaving me home alone.Naturally, as soon as they left, I got onto my bicycle and rode across town to Dee's Appliances of Audubon, NJ to look at their records. (They sold records at 20% off list, in other words, $3.19 for a $3.98 record, a price irresistible to me.)An album cover caught my eye. It was RCA Victor LM-1999 Red Seal (SLP-13) and it was, of course, Fritz Reiner's recording of the 1812 Overture and other works. At that time I knew very little about classical music (I had never heard the 1812 Overture) but, because of that cover, I bought it. (Over the years I bought many albums because of the cover, almost always with similar luck! This cover is reproduced on two of the CDs in this set though it loses something of its impact in the small size.)With no one else being home, I was able to easily bring it into the house and play it.I loved it.I still have it.(Plus, over the years, I have acquired several stereo issues of it, now including the one in this set. That 1812 Overture performance, without cannon-fire and slightly abridged, is still the best performance of the work I have ever heard.)That's how I was introduced to Fritz Reiner. (Actually I had heard Fritz Reiner conduct before - I had the complete "The World's Greatest Music" on 78s and he conducted several of the works included - but, as the performers were not listed anywhere, I did not know this at the time.) So this one was my first "official" Fritz Reiner record - but by no means the last!There are other important record sets out there; the Arturo Toscanini: The Complete RCA Collection is one of them and there are many, many others. You wouldn't want to have just one classical set in your collection. Of course, you will also have a great many individual discs in a good collection but these sets are a convenient way to have music with some common thread (conductor, performer, composer, etc.) available to you in one place and at a relatively low price (and who cares if we have a few duplicates? Not me!).This Fritz Reiner-The Complete RCA Recordings one is certainly the new cornerstone of my own collection and, if you have read this far, I am quite certain it will become yours too. So I'll repeat: BUY THIS SET!Thank you for reading this. I hope it has been informative to you.

I purchased this set when I realized how many old Reiner vinyl performances I have stored away and never listen to any more. So many old records featuring the Living Stereo banner and conducted by Reiner were in many cases, my introduction to the basic repertoire. As performance practices evolved and my interests grew and technology lured me to "greener pastures" the old favorites faded into becoming distant memories. When I discovered this set, my curiosity got the best of me. Could the remastering reveal the glories of the nostalgic past or simply confirm that modern interpretations with a digital boost and pristine sound are worthy of my time and interest? This set is phenomenal! Reiner for all of his legendary nastiness was an extraordinary artist whose monumental achievements produced musical magic that is simply timeless! So many of these disks compete with and surpass the pale efforts of too many of today's "hot" young stars. In addition to his firm and masterful command of the "warhorses" I am bowled over by the variety of repertoire from fluffy bon-bons to exotic or gut wrenching twentieth century "classics". Not every disk is a thorough success, but every one contains interest that is worth one's time to experience. There are happily so many more that are revelatory, I cannot recommend this set highly enough! If you remember Reiner as perhaps a bit stodgy old geezer from another age, this set will demonstrate what authority, commitment, nuance, brilliance of sound and complete mastery of tempi can do to passionately enliven the listener's heart. Buy it and enjoy the feast!

This is fantastic! Reiner was one of the great conductors of the 20th Century, and here is his Chicago RCA legacy. This is like some of the Columbia or RCA "Original Jackets" collections of the past, but on steroids. That is its strength as well as its weakness. Yes, you get all the original album art, notes, etc. Major plus. The downside is that this set could have fit on far fewer CDs. For example, I have the Beethoven 5 & 7, Corolian & Fidelio overtures on a previous release all on one CD. Here they are scattered about on three. Same goes for the Strauss tone poems. So, if you are a Reiner fanatic and have many of the previous Living Stereo or DSD releases, you will notice this scattering. That being said, who cares? The old Dvorak Symphony 9 had a bunch of CD "fillers." Now those are back in their original context. So, a few nitpicks, but everything is in order here, a fantastic legacy set. All of the Living Stereo recordings recently released on DSD are here in Red Book CD mix, and they DO sound better than much of the rest. But, hey, it all sounds great for its age, and many of these recordings have NEVER been surpassed - like the Strauss, Bartok, and many of the "Pops" CDs like Vienna, Iberia and Spain. The physical box presentation is very much like the recent RCA Toscanini set - sturdy box, nice book, but about 3-4 inches shorter than that set in size.

No need to give a detailed review; others have done that. I would simply call the reader's attention to the astonishing fact that, so far, there are on this website twenty-one five-star reviews of this monumental Reiner box. That speaks volumes. Of how many such collections can one say in all candor that everything is first rate? Music? Of course--Reiner had impeccable taste. Conducting? Reiner was a genius (if hardly the most charitable human being that ever lived). Playing? The CSO never sounded more refulgently beautiful before or since. Recordings? Mono: clear, warm and superbly balanced. Stereo: spectacular; the most lively of "living stereo." Production values: no texts for vocal music, it is true; but otherwise considerable care has evidently been lavished on this project. And it fully deserved that effort, as it deserves all those encomiums from Amazon reviewers, including mine. Yes, I know this is an expensive box--but take the plunge; you won't ever regret it.

このセットを聴けば、この様に感じる方が多いのではないだろうか(私はそうだと信じたい！)。同時代人のフルトヴェングラーやクナッパーツブッシュ、クレンペラーなどに比べると、ライナーは「伝説」として語られていないのではないだろうか。ライナーが鍛えた当時のシカゴ響のサウンドは明晰さとパワーを備えつつ、それでいて例えばベートーヴェンの演奏では暗い音色を基調とし、バルトークでは禁欲的な厳しさを湛えながらも、時にはJ.シュトラウスやラヴェルで優雅な微笑みをこちらに向けてくれる。。。そしてライナーの十八番とも言えるR.シュトラウスの演奏では、上記の妙味全てが一度に味わえるのだから驚く他ない。現代音楽の演奏も素晴らしく、特にリーバーマンのジャズバンド協奏曲には圧倒された。録音についても、エンジニアたちの神業に感服する。嗚呼。追記 : 惜しむらくは、ライナーがシカゴ響とブルックナーの録音を残さなかったことだ。

Fritz Reiner is the darling of used record dealers.Audiophiles pay astronomical prices for his RCA "plum label" and "shaded dog" LP pressings.Chicago's Orchestra Hall was the venue Mercury Records used for a highly praised series of "Living Presence" LPs, 1951-1953, conducted by Raphael Kubelik: Kubelik ConductsThe ultimate in orchestral sound during the monaural era. Orchestra Hall also proved to be the ideal location for RCA's "Living Stereo" LP recordings wth Fritz Reiner, produced between 1954 and 1963.A better recording studio than concert hall - the room actually sounded better empty. Produced by Richard Mohr and John Pfeiffer, engineer Lewis Layton.After Reiner's retirement, Orchestra Hall was remodeled with disasterous results, which effectively sabotaged the tenure of his successor Jean Martinon.Decca tried a number of different recording venues for Georg Solti, but none could match the old sound of Orchestra Hall.Fritz Reiner was always a conductor I respected more than loved, but respect can take you a long way.He had the strangest conducting technique I've ever seen.Captured on DVD: Fritz Reiner Conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1953-1954 [Import] - and - Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Reiner, Stokowski & Hindemith [Import]He held a small baton waist-high, and moved it maybe 6 inches (15 centimeters) in any direction; a perpetual scowl on his face.Otto Klemperer conducted with a perpetual scowl on his face, but he couldn't help it.Surgery to remove a brain tumor left him partially paralyzed for the last 30 years of his life.Fritz Reiner was a mean old man.He scowled and meant it.Unlike most conductors, Fritz Reiner wasn't interested in leaving posterity with "Complete" editions of the symphonic repertoire. He recorded only those works that appealed to him: 6 Beethoven symphonies, 4 Mozart symphonies, 3 Haydn symphonies, 2 symphonies each by Brahms and Schubert, and a single symphony each from Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Mahler.He made a specialty of 20th Century orchestral showpieces: Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra (a work he commissioned), Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky (sung in English), and eight LPs of Richard Strauss (a composer with whom he was closely associated in the 19teens (?).With the advent of stereo, RCA thought of Reiner and Chicago as the Ideal Concerto Accompanists for their biggest stars:Arthur Rubinstein in Brahms and Rachmaninov; Jascha Heifetz in Brahms and Tchaikovsky.But Reiner's abrasive personality got in the way, and after some especially unpleasant sessions, neither performer was willing to record with him again.Despite all the tension, or perhaps because of it, these records are among the truly great recordings of the century.Reiner had a much better working relationship with younger, less established musicians: soprano Leontyne Price, pianists Byron Janis and Van Cliburn.Maybe they were too intimidated to cross him. Great performances nonetheless.An exception to this pattern was was the great Russian pianist Emil Gilels who collaborated happily with Reiner in a 1955 recording of the Tchaikovsky Concerto.Gilels was the first Soviet pianist to record with an American orchestra. A Major Event.Reiner was on his best behavior. Perhaps he wanted to show off his new orchestra.The Chicago Symphony's first "best seller" on the LP charts.Three years later when Gilels returned to record the Brahms Second Concerto, Reiner had reverted to his old abrasive self.No matter - the recording is masterful.Reiner mellowed a great deal following a 1960 heart attack. The "Scene by the Brook" in Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony (CD 59) is improbably tender and moving.Conclusion: Wonderful recordings by a great conductor - terrible person - with a great orchestra in remarkable sound.REMASTERINGS:Other than "Every recording in this new 63-CD set comes from the best re-mastered source", Sony is a bit coy about the sources used, but I was able to identify three sources:1) "Living Stereo CDs" - Half the contents of this box. RCA introduced these audiophile CDs in 1993.They actually used vacuum tubes in the earliest stage of the re-mastering process.A big improvement over earlier "Red Seal", "Gold Seal" and "Silver Seal" CD incarnations.Beginning in 2004, most of Reiner's "Living Stereo" CDs were re-mastered as state-of-the art 24-bit SACDs.These were "hybrid" SACDs: in addition to the SACD layer (for which you need an SACD player), they have a standard CD layer.Note: The CDs in this box are 24-bit CDs, not SACDs, which means that the sound will not be as good as SACD, though this is the best these recordings have sounded on CD.But I think I'll keep my SACDs. *2) Japanese XRCDs - Hiromuchi Takiguchi is identified as the tape mastering engineer for 12 titles in this collection. These are the hyper-expensive XRCDs, imported from Japan:- Beethoven Symphonies 6,7, Fidelio Overture ---- Brahms Piano Concerto 2 (Emil Gilels)- Liszt Mephisto Waltz ---- Mozart Divertimento, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ---- Prokofiev Lt.Kije- Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra (1962) ---- Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale ---- Tchaikovsky Symphony 6, 1812 Overture.All but the Beethoven 6, Brahms and Mozart were previously issued as "Living Stereo" CDs.When they had a choice, Sony chose XRCD over "Living Stereo".XRCDs have greater clarity, but the "Living Stereo" sound is warmer. At my age, I prefer warmth to clarity.3) New 24-bit DSD re-masterings - A third of the recordings in this box have not been on CD since the 1980's.Andreas K. Meyer and Jeanne Montalvo are the tape mastering engineers responsible for the new 24-bit DSD re-masterings. This box would a great bargain for the sake of those 32 titles alone:- Bach: Piano Concerto 5 (Andre Tchaikovsky)- Beethoven: Symphonies 1,3,9 ---- Berlioz: Les nuits d'été (Leontyne Price) ---- Brahms Symphony 3, Tragic Overture **- Debussy: Ibéria ---- Haydn: Symphonies 88,95,101 ---- Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture- Mozart: Symphonies 36,39,40,41, Don Giovanni Overture, Piano Concerto 25 (Andre Tchaikovsky)- Ravel: Alborada del gracioso, Valses nobles et sentimentales ---- Rossini: 6 Overtures ----- Schubert Symphonies 5,8- J. Strauss: 2 Waltzes (Artist's Life, Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb' und Lust) ---- Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker highlightsThese would benefit from a bass boost - but its a clean bass, so they can take it without distortion.Rule of thumb: If the tape transfer is the work of Hiromuchi Takiguchi, its an XRCD. If its the work of Andreas K. Meyer or Jeanne Montalvo, its a new 24-bit DSD re-mastering. Any other tape transfer engineer, its a "Living Stereo" re-master.A MYSTERY:Though RCA recorded Reiner in stereo from his first Chicago session, six later sessions were issued in mono only:Beethoven's Eroica, Mozart Symphonies 36, 39, 40, Divertimento K.334 and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K.525.It looks like the 1954-55 Mozart recordings will always be mono (aside from Symphony 41, which is excellent stereo).But there is a mystery about the Eroica - On page 52 of the book:"Note: LM-1899 was recorded in stereo but has never been released on LP in this format. First stereo release on CD JMCXR-0019 in Japan."I believe that is an XRCD catalog number, so I was expecting to hear the XRCD stereo Eroica.Instead it is newly transfered in mono by Andreas K. Meyer & Jeanne Montalvo in 2013.Several correspondents have pointed out that JMCXR-0019 is in fact the XRCD catalog number for the stereo Eroica recorded by Munch and the Boston Symphony in 1957.A correspondent informs me that a light on his CD player indicates that the Eroica is stereo. My lying ears disagree.I went back and re-listened on headphones. It is mono with a little added reverberation. Perhaps this is confusing the electronics in his CD player.Using headphones, I compared the Eroica (CD 5) recorded December 4, 1954, with Don Juan (CD 4) recorded two days later.The difference is night and day.A wide, detailed stereo image for Don Juan versus an orchestra squeezed into the middle of my brain for the Eroica (it sounds better over speakers).Starting to look like Reiner never recorded the Eroica in stereo. Bummer.POINTS OF INTEREST:- This set includes five Reiner /Chicago recordings never before on CD, outside of Japan:1) Bach Keyboard Concerto 5 in F minor, BWV 1056 - Andre Tchaikovsky, piano2) Mozart Piano Concerto 25 in C, K.503 - Andre Tchaikovsky, piano3) Rolf Liebermann: Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra, "Long Hairs, Hepcats - Dig that crazy Combo!" (RCA publicity).4) "The Star-Spangled Banner" - apparently intended for use in schools and at sporting events.5) "Fritz Reiner discusses Beethoven's 7th Symphony" (59 seconds) - RCA radio promo for the LP recording.- Pianist Andre Tchaikovsky (no relation) is soloist in the Bach/Mozart Concertos.Not one of the great pianists, but his memory lives on.After retiring from music, he began a new career as a Shakespearian actor:Probably the greatest Yorick of our time.He left his fortune to the Royal Shakespeare Company on condition that they use his skull in future productions of Hamlet.Look up "Yorick" on Wikipedia for a picture of an actor holding Andre Tchaikovsky's skull ............. Wow.- Haydn Symphonies 95 & 101 were recorded not in Chicago, but in New York with "His Symphony Orchestra"I assume this is a reference to Fritz Reiner, not God, though Reiner might not have appreciated the difference.- Not included: Reiner's Brahms 4th Symphony was recorded in 1962 with the Royal Philharmonic, for Reader's Digest: Brahms / BeethovenBetween 1956 and 1960 he made some stereo recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic for Decca:- Brahms, Dvorak, R. Strauss: Fritz Reiner-the Decca Orchestral Recordings- Verdi Requiem (with Leontyne Price and Jussi Bjoerling): 1960 RequiemPACKAGING:This is an original jacket collection with a nice hard-cover book and program notes reproduced in tiny print on the back of the jackets.There were four 2-LP sets, which are needlessly packaged here as four 2-CD sets, even though all works are complete on a single CD.Also, for some reason, these 2-CD sets get no program notes, just 3 blank pages (especially unfortunate in the case of Strauss's Elektra).These Sony 2-CD cardboard jackets are notoriously hard to open and tend to get torn at the corners. ***----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* On the Amazon Search Bar, look up Music: "Reiner SACD" - most are still available at surprisingly low prices.Another good source for SACDs is Arkivmusic.com - Go to their website. At the top right, click on SACDs; under BROWSE SUPER AUDIO CD click on Conductor; then click on Fritz Reiner. They also have a detailed list of the contents of the Reiner box.** The notes indicates that movements 1 and 3 of Brahms Third are transferred by Takiguchi (XRCD), and movements 2 and 4 are the work of Meyer & Montalvo (new DSD remastering). This is probably a typo. The Tragic Overture is a new DSD remastering by Meyer & Montalvo, so I'm guessing the whole disc is their work.*** Drastic solution: Get a paper cutter (not scissors).Trim 1/16 of an inch (1.5 millimeters) off the outer ends (the sealed ends).So long as you get a straight cut, it looks totally professional.The CDs will now slide out easily.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------P.S. I wish Sony would come out with a Jean Martinon /Chicago Symphony box.Not a very big box, but its all choice.Perhaps it could be supplemented with the Morton Gould /Chicago recordings made at the same time (Stokowski made some too).P.P.S. The Sony Masterworks website is worse than useless. Every time I click on the picture of Fritz Reiner, it takes me to a blank page:"Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to [...]P.P.P.S. After fifty years of listening to classical music:I love Otto Klemperer and Bruno Walter.I had fun with Beecham and Stokowski (still do).I respect Barbirolli, Bernstein, Karajan, Kubelik, Monteux, Munch, Reiner, Szell, and maybe two dozen others (limiting it to the stereo era).The more recent generation has had no effect on me.- I do commend Simon Rattle for including a photo of his Grandmother on the cover of every CD.I wish MY grandchildren were so considerate.P.P.P.P.S. I apologise for the length of this review.I have O.C.D. Not debilitating, but when I get something like this, I need to take it apart, fit everything into categories, and re-assemble the parts in a logical fashion. It can make life difficult.

Antes que nada, quiero expresar mi satisfacción con el servicio que presta SEUR, avisando por email de la entrega el día anterior y el mismo día que el envío sale a reparto. Es una pena que Amazon utilice otras veces empresas menos atentas al cliente. Después, recomendaría al amable lector que, si sabe inglés, me deje y acuda a Amazon.uk para leer las ejemplares reseñas de Fowler y Ultrarunner, exhaustivas y, en el caso del primero, incluso divertidas.Esta caja tiene las características de otras de Sony o Rca (Boulez o Monteux, por ejemplo), que comenta nuestro ubicuo Petrovich. Naturalmente, cualquier melómano que haya superado el escalón de Las cuatro estaciones y los Carmina Burana, posee ya en su discoteca algunos, muchos o la mayoría de estos registros. Los discos compactos son imperecederos (si no se frotan con scotchbrite, como hice yo con uno que se resistía), por eso cada duplicación puede parecernos un reproche de lesa economía. Pero en muchos casos la repetición es sólo relativa, ya que más de la mitad de las grabaciones han sido nuevamente reprocesadas, así que el aficionado que tenga un oído sutil (si no, que escuche a Estopa como hacen sus RR. MM.) y un buen equipo encontrará una buena excusa para desembolsar menos dinero del que le costaría asistir a uno solo de los olvidables conciertos que organizan Juventudes Musicales o Ibermúsica.

FRITZ REINER THE COMPLETE CHICAGO SYMPHONY RECORDINGSI possessed a few records by Reiner and i am very satified to have his complete recordings and i prefer more one F Reinerthan 100 Von Karaboum !!!

Who was Fritz Reiner? He was born in Budapest in 1888. One of his teachers at the Franz Liszt Academy was Bela Bartok whose music he championed all his life .He helped the composer when he was poverty stricken in the USA.In 1914-1921 he was appointed principal conductor of the Saxon state opera in Dresden,where he became a life long friend of Richard Strauss.He travelled to Leipzig and Berlin to absorb and learn from the great Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch, who became Reiner's mentor. According to Lebrecht "Nikisch was the model for youngsters wherever he went. In Russia,he fired the imagination of Koussevitsky,France, Monteux,in Switzerland of Ansermet, in Germany of Furtwangler- his only role model. The mighty succession of Hungarian maestro's-Reiner, Szell, Ormandy, Fricsay, Dorati, Kertesz(drowned in his 40's)and Solti-traced its origin to Nikisch. Both Karajan and Bernstein dropped his name as a token of their legitimacy". So Bernstein might for his teacher was Reiner.(pg 40).Reiner came to the States in 1922 where he became music director of the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra and left the post in 1931,because he divorced his second wife and quickly married his third,who stayed with him until his death.However,from 1931 to 1941 Reiner was a teacher of conducting at the Curtis institute of Music,Philadelphia,where one of his pupils was Leonard Bernstein.During 1938 to 1948 he was music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.He hit the big time,when from 1948 to 1953,he was a leading conductor at the Met,New York.Thereafter,from 1953 until his death in November 1963,he was conductor of the Chicago symphony orchestra.Reiner loved music to the depths of his soul,for he stated "a conductor needed to live a piece heart and soul.Feeling intensely the music that he is conducting or else his music falls coldly on the heart".His pupil Bernstein took this view as if writ in stone. Reiner had a contempt for poor musicianship and would not tolerate it. Second best was not good enough. This was his sensitvity coming to the fore;believe it or not. He also had a sense of humour,though a biting one.I do not think he suffered fools gladly.Fritz Reiner "was a short man who used a big baton and a tiny beat" wrote Harold Schonberg in the New York Times."As a musical intellect,as an incomparable musician,as the possessor of an ear virtually unparalled in his field, Reiner held a unique spot in 20th century musical life".He held his long and extraordinarily eloquent baton lightly with his fingers. Only for special emphasis did he raise his arms,and the figure he presented to the audience lacked any hint of histrionics, which you cannot accuse Bernstein of.But to the players in front of him,he offered extensive body language.He would cue a wind player by puffing out his cheeks,indicate a crescendo by raising his eyebrows or a diminuendo by lowering them. For complex meters,he used his body,beating in three with his baton, while marking duple time with his left elbow. This then is Reiner,the Man. From the Pittsburgh Orch; Masterworks Hertiage box set. Beethoven Sym No 2(1945). Mozart Sym 35(1946) and 40(1947).Shostakovich sym no 6 (1945).Works by Kodaly,Weiner and Bartok and Glinka.(1945-1947). REFERENCES:Hart,P.Fritz Reiner-a biography.2013.Masterworks Heritage.Lebrecht,N.The Maestro Myth.1997.Pocket books. Morgan,K. A perfectionist on the podium.2013. RCA Reiner box set.A dark strong card board black box, with Fritz Reiner Chicago Symphony orchestra written in white with complete RCA recordings in yellow Ochre below. One side has printed 36 sleeves,and the other the head of Reiner. Underneath,has written 32 pieces of music remastered from the original analogue tapes in this edition. Also the symbol of Sony Classics, which has produced box sets such as The Toscanini complete RCA collection, and the Satin covered box set, Verdi,the great recordings. The dark black lid has Reiner's signature, which is bold and slants to the right, which shows Reiner was a strong personality and artistic. This lid is unusual,in that it has a small front and big back. On a flat surface, you can use it to put CDs waiting to be played. Inside the box, is another box which is the norm these day's.The sleeves are the originals, with the actual essay in small writing on the composer,symphony, or music to be played on the back,as in the days of LPs;remember them. I shudder at the thought. They are making a come back. The spine has the composer, the name of the music to be played,and the CD number. No track numbers on the back, or on the CD. There a four double CDs with no information on the back, only on the front. The CDs are easy to extract.You might see part 1, or first movement on the label, ignore it. Some labels are deep purple; not the rock group, and the rest bright red. This is an attempt to make it exactly like the original LP, even down to the black vinyl colour.Why? I havent a clue. For example,so authentic is this box, that Also sprach Zarathustra,is in one sleeve CD 1,and CD 2 is Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. Whereas in the RCA Living stereo Box, both tone poems are on one CD. Anyway, you cannot get lost.However,do not lose the hard covered booklet;with many pictures. An essay on Reiner, and next, a picture of the sleeve, with the composer, music to be played, CD numbers and track numbers. At last a strong booklet,as they are usually flimsy. The sound is good, according to the publicity stuck to the plastic covering the box." 32 works newly remastered from the original analogue tapes using 24 bit/96kHz technology. All other CDs feature latest Living stereo SACD and XRCD remasterings." I wonder what it means. A tech head would know. In the box are 18 CDs from the two Living stereo box set.I shall go across the page using reviews from the Penguin classical guides;1977,1996 and 2008, plus Gramophone Guide 2009. I shall start off with the CD number,the date recorded, Composer and then review,with a few comments from me-T. All with Reiner and Chicago Symphony orchestra, so I will not mention him,accept the soloists. He comes up in some reviews.(CD 1)(1954)RICHARD STRAUSS: Also sprach Zarathustra."Among the earliest of stereo LPs,it has been acclaimed for 50 years as one of the finest recordings of the work ever. The stuff of legends."(CD 2)(1954)RICHARD STRAUSS: Ein heldenleben."Whatever he does is convincing" (CD 3)(1954)BRAHMS: Piano concerto no 1-Rubinstein,Piano."This is a poetic and essentially lyrical reading."(CD 4)(1955)LIEBERMANN: Concerto for Jazz band and symphony orchestra. Reiner was conducting and stated in the newspaper cutting printed on the back of CD sleeve "that there was future for this new type of music".He was swaying to the music,he seemed to like it. Above, the head line,"long hairs,hepcats-dig that crazy combo". I wonder what he would have made of the Rolling stones, Sid Vicious and the Punks, or even hippies. The mind boggles. Give Reiner his due he did try to keep in touch with musical trends. RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Juan."It is most famous for the erotic central section and for the thrilling climax".(CD 5)(1955)BEETHOVEN "Eroica".Sym No 3."Undoubtedly a compulsive Eroica, big boned in its epic qualities."(CD 6)(1955)Brahms violin concerto in D-Heifetz violinist."A sovereign account of this concerto."(CD 7)(1955).TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano concerto No I-piano Emil Gilels."This is a very exciting,full blooded version,including a beautifully gentle account of the outer sections of the slow movement."One of the best-T.(CD 8)(1956).MOZART:Divertimento No 17. Eine kleine nacht music.(CD 9)(1956) BARTOK: Concerto for orchestra."A classic recording."(CD 10 &11)(1956)RICHARD STRAUSS: SALOME and ELEKTRA Excerpts. Inge Borkh,Paul Schoeffler and Frances Yeend.'No Straussian should miss this disc."Suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Inge Borkh. CD Preiser records.London sym orch. Vienna Phil. Courtsey of Decca records.(CD 12)(1956) BEETHOVEN: Symphony no 7."A powerful,understanding performance. The fast tempo for the final draws brilliance from the Orchestra."(CD 13)(1956)TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 overture."Without cannon,but is very enjoyable nevertheless."LIZST: Mephisto Waltz. A superb account of Lizst's waltz, perhaps the finest on record.WEINBERGER: Polka and Fuge from Schwanda. SMETANA: The bartered bride overture. DVORAK: Carnival overture.Fizzes. Fast tempo.-T(CD 14)(1957)RACHMANINOFF:Piano Concerto no 2-piano Rubinstein.(CD 15)(1962) RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini-Rubinstein Piano. FALLA: nights in the Gardens of Spain.(CD 16)(1957)JOHANN STRAUSS: Morgenblatter. kaiser-Walzer. An der schonen, blauen Donau. WEBER:Invitation to the dance. RICHARD STRAUSS. Der Rosenkavalier: Waltzes. Reiner plays the Johann Strauss's waltz's as they should be played,he captures the viennese spirit.-T(CD 17)(1957) TCHAIKOVSKY: violin concerto -Heifetz Violin."A performance of personality from Heifetz and Reiner."(CD 18) (1957)RACHMANINOFF: Piano concerto No 1 piano Janis.(CD 19)(1957) RICHARD STRAUSS: Domestic symphony."A reading of stature,worthy to rank along side the best."(CD 20 & 21)(1957) MOZART:Symphonies No 36,39,40 &41. The movements taken very fast remind you of the authentic instrument school. Yet these symphonies were recorded years before they began their revolution.-T(CD 22)(1958) PROKOFIEV: Lieutenant Kije."This is another colourful example of the Chicago orchestra at their peak." STRAVINSKY: Song of the nightingale.(CD 23)(1958)BRAHMS: Piano concerto no 2.Gilels-piano."very satisfying performance".(CD 24)(1958).RAVEL:Rapsodie espagnole. Pavane for a dead Princess. RACHMANINOFF: Isle of the dead."These performances are in an altogether special class"(CD 25)(1958) MUSSORGSKY:Pictures at an exhibition arr Ravel."Reiner's approach is evocative."(CD 26)(1958) BRAHMS: Symphony no 3."a magnificent performance" (CD 27)(1958) TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony no 6.Good, but I prefer Mravinsky conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic orchestra."His very Russian account is justly renowned.It is deeply passionate".(Penguin Guide 1996)(CD 28)(1958)DEBUSSY: Iberia. Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales.Alborada del gracioso.A penguin rosette for excellence.(CD 29)(1958)DVORAK: Symphony no 9 "New world"."How well the music flows with lovely playing."(CD 30)(1958)GRANADOS: Intermezzo. DE FALLA:Interlude(La vida breve. Dance(La Vida breve). Three cornered Hat suite no 2. ALBENIZ:Navarra."They have more sparkle then many recordings made since."(CD 31)(1958) HOVHANESS: Symphony No 2.Mysterious Mountain. STRAVINSKY: Divertimento from the fairy's kiss.(CD 32)(1959)TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture reissued in stereo,the other(CD 13) was mono?.MENDELSSOHN: Fingal's Cave."exciting account"LIZST: Mephisto Waltz. BRAHMS:Tragic Overture.(CD 33)(1959) ROSSINI: overtures. William Tell. La Scala di Seta. Il Signor Bruschino. The barber of Seville.La Gazza Ladra. La Cenerentola." Reiner's classic collection here emerges as sparkling and vivacious as ever."(CD 34)(1959)BEETHOVEN:Symphony No 5.Quick tempo's as Beethoven should be played-T Coriolan overture.(CD 35)(1959) MAHLER: Symphony no 4. Lisa Della Casa-soprano."Everything Reiner does sounds spontaneous.The slow movement has striking intensity. Della Casa is in ravishing voice" Reiner prefered long takes so that his recordings had the feel of a live performance.Booklet.(CD 36)(1960)BARTOK: Music for strings,percussion & celesta/hungarian sketches."Reiner is one of the master Bartok conductors" (CD 37&38)(1960)MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde.Maureen Forrester. Richard Lewis.This is one of the best recorded,along with Ferrier &Patzak,Vienna Philharmonic Orch cond Walter 1952. Thats how highly I rate this recording-T. HAYDN: Symphony no 88.(CD 39)(1960)RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Quixote."A top recommendation."(CD 40)(1960)MOZART:Concerto no 25- piano Tchaikowsky.Overture to Don Giovanni.(CD 41)(1960)PROKOFIEV: Alexander Nevsky. Rosalind Elias Mezzo."The performance is gripping from the first bar to the last,with choral singing of great fervour and a movingly eloquent contribution from Elias in the great Lament." (CD 42)(1960)KABALEVSKY: Colas Breugnon overture. TCHAIKOVSKY: Marche Slave. BORODIN: Prince Igor: Polvotsian March. MUSSORGESKY: Night on the bare mountain. TCHAIKOVSKY: Marche Minature. GLINKA:Russlan and Lyudmila overture. Reiner is always good in these popular pieces,full of energy and quick tempo's. He shows us how they should be played.-T (CD 43)(1960)SCHUMANN: piano concerto. Van Cliburn-piano."Satisfying reading"(CD 44)(1960)TCHAIKOVSKY:Excerpts from the Nutcracker ballet.(CD 45)(1960)RESPIGHI:Pines of Rome.Fountains of Rome. "Legendary recordings of Respighi have never been surpassed for their sultry Italian warmth."(CD 46)(1960)RIMSKY-KORSAKOFF:Scheherazade."Stands out among the many superb RCA recordings made in Chicago in the 1950's."(CD 47)(1960) WAGNER:Die Meistersinger: Prelude to Act 1.Prelude to Act 3. dance of the Apprentices. Entry of the Masters.Gotterdammerung:Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine journey. Funeral Music.(CD 48)(1961)DEBUSSY: La Mer."he captures the atmosphere of this french piece-T RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Juan.Recommended-T.(CD 49)(1961)JOHANN STRAUSS: Wiener Blut. Rosen aus dem Suden.Unter Donner und Blitz.(CD 50)(1961)SCHUBERT: Symphonies 8th'unfinished' and 5th. "Which is essentially sunny with a vigorous finale. No 8 has a superly dramatic and impulsive first movement and a rich lyrical finale".(CD 51)(1961)LIZST: Totentanz. RACHMANINOFF: Piano concerto no 1.Janis.(CD 52)(1961)BEETHOVEN: Piano concerto no 5 "Emperor"-Piano Van Cliburn "creates much excitement in the outer movements,with powerful support from Reiner."(CD 53)(1961)BRAHMS: Piano concerto no 2-Van Cliburn.(CD 54&55)(1962)BEETHOVEN: 1st and 9th symphony."The 9th convey's power. This is a fine example of Reiner's mastery." Extremely fast tempo's.Makes you hear Beethoven's 9th as if for the first time.-T(CD 56)(1962 )RICHARD STRAUSS:Also Sprach Zarathustra. A newer recording-T.(CD 57)(1962)RACHMANINOFF: piano concerto no 2. van Cliburn-piano."is second to none".(CD 58)(1963)BEETHOVEN: piano concerto no 4-van Cliburn piano.(CD 59)(1963)BEETHOVEN: Symphony No 6."an outstandingly fresh and enjoyable performance."(CD 60)(1963) FALLA: El Amor Brujo.Leontyne Price."Fiery and colourful account.Price is riviting,as a flamenco singer". BERLIOZ:Les Nuit's D'ete."Price is well supported by Reiner and the Chicago orch in its heyday."(CD 61)(1963)HAYDN: sym no 101.Sym no 95. Musicians from the Chicago orch,Met Orch,New York Phil and the sym of the air,(NBC Orch). Made two months before Reiners death.(CD62)(1959)SCHUMANN Concerto for piano and orch. LIZST: Totendanz- Janis Piano.(CD 63)J.S BACH: Concerto for key board and orch no 5.Piano-Tchaikovsky.SMITH: The Star Spangled banner. Fritz Reiner discusses Beethoven's symphony very briefly.I hope you enjoy this set as much as I do.