Throughout the history of classical recording there have been a handful of exceptional orchestra/conductor pairings. One thinks of Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic, Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, and Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic. Another was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with their Music Director Fritz Reiner, who held the position from 1953 to 1962, and recorded for RCA.

When Reiner died in 1963, the job was offered to another Jewish Hungarian, Georg Solti, who had first conducted the orchestra at the Ravinia Festival back in 1954. However, Solti had been appointed Music Director at Covent Garden and could not accept. The music directorship went to Jean Martinon, whom Solti described uncharitably in his memoirs as “weak”.

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Solti finally took up the position in 1969 and remained at the helm until 1991, often returning as Conductor Laureate. He turned the orchestra’s fortunes around, partly because of his lifetime contract with Decca. He made many records in Chicago and another iconic partnership was born. They are all here, including a 1977 Verdi Requiem released by RCA (due to the contractual obligations...