Track Listing

1. I. Largo
2. II. Allegro
3. III. Presto
4. I. Lento
5. II. Lento-Allegretto Moderato
6. III. Allegro Con Moto-Grazioso
7. IV. Allegro
8. I. Jo Alapos Csardas. Tempo Di Csardas (Quasi Alla Marcia)
9. II. Roka-Tanc. Vivace
10. III. Marosszeki Keringos. Allegretto Moderato (Quasi Andantino)
11. IV. Verbunkos. Tempo Di Marcia (Un Poco Grottescamente)
12. V. Csurdongolo. Presto
13. IV. Kicsit Azottan. Allegretto Rubato 'Slightly Tipsy' / >>Beschwipst<< / <<Un Peu Ivre>>
14. II. Medvetanc. Allegro Vivace 'Bear Dance' / >>Barentanz<< / <<Danse De L'ours>>
15. Colas Breugnon Overture, Op. 24
16. Kamarinskaya

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #167939 in Music
• Released on: 1996-10-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
These pre-Chicago recordings of Fritz Reiner with the Pittsburghers is a reminder of his greatness as a conductor. It also restores to the catalog his recordings of some composers he wasn't closely identified with. Shostakovitch, for example, wasn't a regular on Reiner's studio schedule, but should have been, for this Sixth bristles with sardonic wit and energy. The Kodaly Dances, of course, were right up Reiner's alley, and get a smashing performance. The shorter works too, are first class, especially the Bart243;k Hungarian Sketches and another Reiner calling card, Kabalevsky's Colas Breugnon Overture. Weiner's string Divertimento is charming, but the real prize may be Glinka's Kamarinskaya, given a peformance that shimmers and glistens with delicacy and life. Sony's restoration of the 1945-1947 recordings is faultless. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Disregard other reviewer.
Reiner's interpretations of Shostakovich are incredible. The other works by Kablevsky, Gilnka, Weiner, Bartok and Kodaly are also excellent works that are, unfortunately, rarely recorded and played. This CD is an incredible find. I have the original 78 RPM recording and to have it on CD is a blessing. If you like this kind of music, jump on this CD.

A true collector item!
There are several undeniable arguments that make of this treasured album a real must for you.
Fritz Reiner was a true champion in the orchestral direction. His obsessive frenzy for the accurate precision, his controversial personality, his profound concerns by improving the orchestral rank of almost forgotten orchestras as The Pittsburgh Symphonic, his tenacity and fierceness were unvaluable contributions in USA.
In what the performance of the Sixth Symphony, you nay consider this version is unique; conception merciless, brutal, biter and expressive without a bit of theatrality or false postures.
He made a true scalpel disection with this work.
The dark and somber passages if the First Movement were made with the major fullfillment level. I have tried with other versions in the market but it's impossible to find another one as this one.
The third movement with its kinetic and gay rhthym, find to Reiner in the height of his directorial powers. In the final code with the percusion, he gets a ritard effect as any other else.
The rest of the CD is fine, but the jewel of the crown i insist is this performance of the Sixth.
Go for this Cd just before this historical and unequal recording is out of the market.

Horrors! It's mono!
So what. I think 60% of my collection is mono -- recordings from the acoustic era up to the advent of stereo in the mid-50s. Toscanini, Furtwaengler, Schnabel, Casal's great set of Bach Suites -- the list is long, the music and heritage rich, and the hiss is minimal!

I have this Sixth coupled with the Mitropoulos recording of the Shostakovich Fifth, on a French Columbia import. Both recordings and performances are excellent, as far as I am concerned.

Another excellent Sixth is the one Reiner made with the NY Phil in a broadcast from the 40s, coupled with exerpts from "Boris Godunov" and the Copland Clarinet Concerto with Benny Goodman. I can vouch for the quality of that recording as well.