Back in the late 50's and early 60's, RCA's Living Stereo recordings were among the best-engineered of their time, with the original albums fetching enormous sums from vinyl collectors. Among the most sought-after is the Chicago Symphony's performance of Respighi's masterpiece, The Pines of Rome, and its companion piece, The Fountains of Rome. Recently reissued by vinyl masters, Classic Records, this authentic reproduction brings those sonic thrills back to life with all of the original's huge dynamic range and monstrous bass response intact.

No matter which other Respighi recordings you may ultimately purchase, this is the one by which all others are judged, both in terms of sound and performance. "The Pines of the Villa Borghese" will take your breath away, as will the thunderous "Pines of the Appian Way." But even as magnificent as those tracks are, they pale in comparison when you hear the subtleties of "The Pines Near a Catacomb," or the delicate strings and tolling bells of "The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset." Conductor Fritz Reiner lifts these pieces from mere orchestral showpieces into true greatness. No one else has attained the same combination of excitement and discipline since.

Reiner and the Chicago Symphony achieved extraordinary magic in the studio with this album (as they did so many times in the past), setting a standard that has yet to be equaled. If you're looking for a record to put your system through its paces, look no further. A true classic…