When William Steinberg was appointed music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1969, he attained the pinnacle of his career. In 2004 the critic Richard Freed wrote of Steinberg’s BSO recordings of the Schubert Ninth and Bruckner Sixth Symphonies: “They are among the best entries in his discography and among the finest recordings of the works.” Originally prepared for release in 1972 but never issued, Steinberg’s recordings of Mendelssohn’s own orchestration of the Scherzo from his Octet and Stravinsky’s Scherzo fantastique and Scherzo à la russe finally appear here (CD 3) coupled with formidable virtuoso renderings of orchestral showpieces by Dukas, Richard Strauss and Saint-Saëns. And rounding off this survey of RCA Boston Symphony Orchestra recordings from the Steinberg era are tapings of Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and Carnival Overture made in 1970 under Arthur Fiedler, former BSO violinist and longstanding conductor of the Boston Pops.

The box set is now available for pre-order and will be released on April 5th.

Photo credit: Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives