Fritz Reiner’s posthumous reputation is such that my enthusiastic recommendation for this well-packed reissue is probably superfluous. But even now there is I think a sense in which the disc brings together two sides of Reiner’s music-making. The Don Juan, recorded as early as December 1954, is one of the most exciting of all time, racing panther-like from the opening gestures, lush and self-consciously espressivo in the sweeping string theme. The hushed playing is as exquisite as contemporary technology would permit (the opening is disfigured by noticeable wow). And yet one can see why earlier commentators were reluctant to endorse it without reservation. It is a self-consciously brilliant reading and just a shade heartless.
No such reservations surround the Don Quixote, made in April 1959 during Antonio Janigro’s American debut, and recorded with astonishing fidelity using a different orchestral set-up (without divided violins). Anyone familiar with Janigro’s subsequent work as conductor of I Solisti di Zagreb may be unprepared for the marvellous poise and flair of his cello playing here. And who could think Reiner a cold fish after hearing his glorious treatment of the soaring climax of Var. 3 (track 6)? The balance is generally excellent with the exception of some backward woodwind and a reluctant resort to true pianissimo; the cello is more discreetly located than in most subsequent recordings (including the Tortelier/Kempe/Dresden version – part of a three-disc set). As so often in this revelatory series, the transfers have been carefully handled, drying out the sound just enough to maximize inner detail but retaining all the distinctive bloom of the venue. This is disciplined yet red-blooded music-making of a kind in short supply these days. Strongly recommended.'