Search - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Fritz Reiner, Leopold Stokowski :: RCA Victor Basic 100, Vol. 67- Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Russian Easter Overture, Tsar Saltan

Make reservations for Reiner

Tenorposaune | 07/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was always viewed as one of Reiner's best recordings. The CSO is in splendid form for him, the scenery unfolds in glorious detail without sacrificing overall structure, and the personality of Orchestra Hall comes out very strongly. Harth gives us an elegant and fleet group of solos that rank among the best.So why am I not raving? All the time I've known this recording (a long, long time) I never feel Reiner feels this is quite an "adult" work, with all its fairy tales and what not. There's no magic here because Reiner wasn't the type to submit to it, even though he agreed to dirty his hands. For total immersion, any Stokowski reading will do it, provided you fasten your seat-belt and go for the ride...while experiencing some instrumental combos you never saw on any page. Dorati gives you a kaleidoscope of refracted light, Rafael Druian's amazing solos and the real feeling of pages turning in a big story book, nearly a screenplay. Beecham brings you wonder and wide-eyed fascinaiton. Monteux in both his San Francisco and London accounts captures your spirit of adventure with totally involved orchestral participation! Markevitch is captivating and goes after the exotic and Arabic to great effect with no shame. Reiner gives you the book and goes by it. There's no denying the book per se is a polished and integral book and isgreat, great literature. And certainly it's not anywhere near drab and routine or in any way academic.The fillers here are OK, the Stoky Paque Russe kind of sloppily played, but neither he or Previn make the kind of contribution in this material like Kurtz or Scherchen or either Slatkin would.Four stars because it's Reiner with some great friends along, but I'd surely listen around among others."

Amazing Reiner

Tenorposaune | Chicago, IL USA | 10/27/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Have no reservations about the Scheherazade on this disc. Reiner's recording of this with the CSO is the recording by which all others are judged; it alone is worth the price of this disc. That said, I'd recommend buying this recording of it on a different disc, because of the Russian Easter Overture. I don't like Stokowsky's interpretation. Everything about it (tempos, dynamics, etc) sounds grossly overdone, like a crude joke. And why did he have the trombone solo doubled? The excerpts from Tsar Sultan are acceptable, but nothing to write home about."