Reiner Conducts Wagner / Don Juan

This 1999 release from RCA Victor compiles legendary mid-century recordings by conductor Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Originally recorded between 1954 and 1960, these sessions were captured at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall during the height of the Living Stereo era, a period defined by RCA's pursuit of high-fidelity perfection and pioneering multi-microphone techniques that set the industry standard for orchestral sound.

The disc showcases Reiner’s celebrated interpretations of Richard Wagner’s overtures and Richard Strauss’s tone poem Don Juan. These recordings were part of a larger, highly influential series that showcased the precision and visceral energy Reiner instilled in the Chicago Symphony. Upon their initial release, they were lauded by critics for their structural clarity and sonic depth, and they have remained definitive references for orchestral performance in the decades since.