Eloquence Classics

Renowned for the precision of his execution, it was said that Reiner could ‘stand before an orchestra he has never seen before and conduct a new piece at first sight without verbal explanation, by means of manual technique alone’ (he later taught at the Curtis Institute, where he unsuccessful attempted to moderate the young Leonard Bernstein). His temper was equally legendary (he was once described as ‘A despot with a baton’), but his performances, perhaps because of his uncannily tiny beat, were models of clarity and precision, never losing sight of the longer line, and always renowned for their glittering vitality.

The recordings here are the sum of his orchestral recordings made for the Decca Record Company. His Strauss is searing, and the thrill of the Brahms and Dvorak Dances has perhaps never been equalled – helped immeasurably, of course, by Decca’s state-of-the-art recording.