Customer Reviews

Rossini: Overtures

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are able to purchase this album, DO SO! I have heard many recordings of Rossini's overtures and by far, this is the album that must sit on your collection. From the Barber of Seville, to William Tell, each of these overtures are played with such excitement and gusto, that it is impossible to not get lost while listening to this recording. Reiner simply leads the Chicago Symphony in exceptional performances. In each overture, the CSO plays with such energy, vigor, precision, and outstanding musicianship, that they give the perfect blend of wit, humor, and playfulness to each performance. A truly outstanding album, and a must have.

Close your eyes and you will simply not believe this was recorded in the late 1950's, it sounds better than most of today's digital recordings. And oh what performances, Rossini's overtures have never been given more dramatic renditions, with the climax -- the famous gallop of William Tell, taken at incredibly fast tempo -- representing one of the most thrilling passages I have ever heard in recorded music. Granted there are more comprehensive selections of Rossini overtures and by some standards this disc is short measure, but who cares, if you like this genre you must own this one. Worth it for the William Tell alone, in fact.

This is the most stunning album of Rossini overtures ever recorded. All the overtures here are close to being the finest versions, but the tour de force is the overture to William Tell. You may think that you're entirely familiar with that old warhorse, and that there's nothing more for you to find in it. Reiner will disclose wonders that you never imagined: precision of rapid brass chords, crescendos of the strings in the galop, the triangle's tingle, the tripping out of the solo flute, the surprise of a tutti fortissimo held back just the eenth part of second. Listening intently is physically exhausting; the galop goes at least as fast as Toscanini's. The sound is superb--equal to the best of the pre-digital era.

The spectacular Fritz Reiner years as Conductor of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, roughly 1954 to 1962, represent, (IMO,) the cream of the "Living Stereo" crop of RCA Red Seal recordings. Using the impressive acoustics of Orchestra Hall to great advantage, the recording team of Lewis Layton and Richard Mohr managed to capture so many great musical moments to include this wonderful collection of Rossini Overtures. These Rossini performances are full of the legendary Reiner touches to include razor sharp ensemble, breath taking tempos and superb musicianship by the entire orchestra. But, as others have indicated, the 1958 recording is showing signs of age with inner harmonic distortion and tape hiss the most noticable distractions. What is needed here is another high rez miracle makeover performed by the RCA staff who have managed to rescue a number of other "Living Stereo" masters in their on going RCA vintage SACD program. Please ladies and gentlemen who make these decisions, include this spectacular set of Rossini Overture performances in your next SACD collection designated for remastering. Best, Hal Owen.

As noted by the other reviewer, this is a five-star performance. In fact, it's the best performance I've heard so far. Unfortunately the recoding is dated. There's some SERIOUS clipping on the peaks, which I find very annoying. This is why I gave it three stars.

Don't get me wrong; I don't mind listening to a vintage recording if it's something significant, like Furtwangler conducting Beethoven's 9th at Bayreuth in '51 for example. But why is it that, with a "warhorse" like the Rossini overtures, all we have to choose from are lame modern performances that are recorded phenominally well, or classic old performances that are recorded in mud? This is no less than the FOURTH recording of the Rossini overtures that I've purchased, and I'm still looking. Oh well...

Rossini's overtures overall simply do not get any better than this, and for several of them, this represents the pinnacle of recorded art. These performances are *full* of vigor, full of humor, full of passion and full of Maestro Reiner's vision of excellence. The Barber of Seville bubbles with life and hijinks, The Thieving Magpie evokes and releases the tension of the hero and the avian "villain" with gusto. And, as others have suggested here, the Overture to William Tell is superb start to finish, featuring a glorious Swiss sunrise, with the shepherd's ranz de vaches that sweetly provides temporary comfort and shelter between the thunder of the tempest and what is surely the most glorious galop on record, matched only by Toscanini's fire (also on BMG/RCA).

There are only six overtures in this collection, by CD standards superficially a little bit short - but they are six of Rossini's best. Reiner's interpretation is worth a dozen of anyone else's, which makes this disc a supreme bargain at almost any price. For this reviewer, among the thousands of classical recordings I have collected over the years, this one is among my top five, and the desert island disc of all such discs. When I die, I want this one buried with me...whichever way I go in the afterlife, I want to do it to the strains and indomitable heroic spirit of Reiner's William Tell.

This is also available in a newer BMG version as well with a red and blue "lavalamp" cover, but the same superior recording. Either one is great. Rossini: Overtures

Rossini overtures performed by the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner?!

You know, life is not fair. I mean ... really.

Reiner offers driven, humorless, unrelenting performances of this wonderfully playful music. He was a great conductor -- and God knows the Chicago Symphony played magnificently for him -- but this is a classic mismatch.

Fritz Reiner inscribed his name among the greatest directors in Rossini. These overtures. Own charm, elegance and sumptuous expressiveness.

This album, jointly with Toscanini and Giulini conform to my mind an must-have trilogy.