Fritz Reiner: A Biography

This is the first biography of one of the century's most important conductors of opera and symphonic music. Fritz Reiner (1888-1963) led major orchestras in Europe and the Americas, including those of Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Chicago; after distinguished opera conducting in Philadelphia and San Francisco, he spent five memorable seasons at the Metropolitan Opera. He was not only a consummate musician but also a major participant in the evolution of concert and opera in America, in the development of characteristically American music, and in the education of musicians: Leonard Bernstein, his most famous pupil, declared, "Reiner is responsible for my own very high standards." His most enduring legacy, his recordings made with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, are more highly regarded than they were in his lifetime - indeed, most of Reiner's recorded repertory was reissued on compact disc much more quickly than that of other conductors of his era. His accomplishments, however, were compromised by his irascibility, which alienated the music world and often obscured his intrinsic artistic achievement, diminishing its contemporary recognition. Thirty years after his death, Reiner's contribution continues to be reassessed.