Chats with two Chicago Symphony percussionists reveal interesting tidbits of information about Fritz Reiner, a man rarely caught smiling and a conductor many musicians disliked — if not hated.
Archive for the ‘LP Recordings’ Category
Fritz Reiner Stories and Pictures
June 1st, 2011 Sam Denov Remembers His Early Days with the Chicago Symphony and Fritz Reiner
August 5th, 2010Fritz Reiner was Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra between 1953-1962. In this excerpt from his book, SYMPHONIC PARADOX, former CSO percussionist Sam Denov tells what it was like to work with Fritz Reiner. “He had a penchant for constantly testing the musicians in his charge,” says Sam. “At times [. . .] Reiner would descend on any musician without warning, just to have some personal demonic fun. One never knew when it was going to be his ‘turn in the barrel’ as it came to be called, because it was like being a duck that was in a barrel; an easy target, so to speak.”
Two Years with Wayne King's Orchestra
May 1st, 2010Harry Brabec spent two years with Wayne King’s Orchestra, on the road as well as when the orchestra was performing on television in Chicago. Here are some of his memories of the band in 1949-1951.
Classic Percussion Albums of the Fifties
April 29th, 2010In 1956 when David Carroll made Percussion in Hi-Fi—the first of two classic David Carroll percussion albums on the Mercury label (SR60003), Harry was one of six percussionists working alongside Sam Denov, Bobby Christian, Frank Rullo, Dale Anderson, and Hugh Anderson.
The Chicago Symphony in the Fifties and Sixties
April 29th, 2010Like the Chicago Symphony? Here’s a summary of Harry Brabec’s time with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Kubelik and Fritz Reiner in the fifties with a beautiful photo of the Orchestra.
Harry Brabec’s Record Collection
April 29th, 2010Record-collecting is a hobby that can get out of hand. Over a thirty-year period, Harry collected nearly 5,000 LPs, ending up with a large collection of big band/jazz albums. LP collectors will find this post of particular interest.
