FESTIVAL Fritz Reiner CLASSIC RECORDS Living Stereo 45rpm 5 disc AUDIOPHILE set

$

148

FESTIVAL • Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra CLASSIC RECORDS LSC 2423-45 Living Stereo 45rpm 5 disc AUDIOPHILE set Mastered by Bernie Grundman • Pressed at RTI)

TracklistHide Credits

Colas Breugnon, Op. 24: Overture Composed By – Kabalevsky
Marche Slave Composed By – Tchaikovsky
Prince Igor: Act Ill: Polovski March Composed By – Borodin 15:22
A Night On Bare Mountain Composed By – Moussorgsky 10:15
Marche Miniature (From Suite No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 43) Composed By – Tchaikovsky 1:56
Russlan And Ludmilla: Overture Composed By – Glinka 5:15

*(all photos are of the actual item)

• Licensed From – BMG Music
• Mastered At – Bernie Grundman Mastering

• Conductor – Fritz Reiner
• Engineer – Lewis Layton
• Liner Notes – Louis Biancolli
• Orchestra – Chicago Symphony Orchestra*
• Producer – Richard Mohr
• Remastered By – BG

Review: Anthony Kershaw LSC 2423 - "Festival" Fritz Reiner conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the Colas Breugnon Overture by Kabalevsky, Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave and Marche Miniature, the Polovski March from Prince Igor by Borodin, A Night on Bare Mountain by Moussorgsky and Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Overture. Producer: Richard Mohr. Engineer: Lewis Layton. Recorded in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.
As a collector and great admirer of the Living Stereo catalogue, I consider this another gem from the Leyton/Mohr vaults, here brought to life superbly by Classic Records. Reiner and the orchestra are in top form and highlighted by excellent recorded sound. Yet, if compared to the finest of the RCAs, Festival does not quite reach the top of Living Stereo's tier. Interpretations are interesting but feel as though Reiner is on autopilot, seemingly impossible considering Reiner's penchant for exacting standards in all things musical. Mindful of this slight caveat, the LP has many enjoyable qualities. After all, these are brilliant musicians at work, the music and technical standards of who are rarely bettered.
The Colas Breugnon Overture is a wonderful opener demonstrating the best of LSC-2423's recorded sound, and the speedy Russlan and Ludmilla Overture is played brilliantly - the CSO strings would give Bolshoi players a run for their money. The pleasantries continue with a sparkling Marche Miniature and a heavily accented Polovski March. Unfortunately, Marche Slave remains a loud reminder that not all Tchaikovsky wrote glittered with gold! And with the exception of the all-important low brass (sounding weaker than is usual), A Night on Bare Mountain sounds suitably ferocious.
Sonically, Festival feeds some of our needs by extolling deep bass and extended highs. One slight drawback is a hole present in the middle of the soundstage (certainly not the only RCA to suffer this slight ignominy). While not detracting in the least from the listener's overall enjoyment, the hole does illuminate the odd placement (right of center) of the woodwind section (other sections remain unscathed). In addition, transparency is not as refined as other recordings in this series with the resultant loss of clarity, especially in the midband of the tonal spectrum.
Nevertheless, all the instruments sound wonderful. In fact, Festival brings you some of the finest viola and timpani sound that you will hear on record. Listen to the second subject of the Glinka; the violas take the melody then sweep and swoon in the finest heart-on-sleeve Russian manner and, while taken on the ride, one can relish their burnished and resin-filled tone. The coda of Colas Breugnon highlights the stick technique of the timpanist; we are treated to gorgeous tone with left and right hand pressure heard easily from his hard mallets. Superb!
Consequently, although a few caveats remain, my opening remarks prevail - Festival is a gem and offers highly polished performances of Russian Romantic works.