Zdenek Chalabala was a very fine conductor whose career dates back to the early years of this century. He made very few recordings, even fewer in stereo, but every one of them was important. These performances, when originally released on LP, introduced music lovers all over the world to these unfairly neglected masterpieces, and they made the best possible case for the music. Not only is the Czech Philharmonic in top form, but Chalabala"s theatrical experience as an opera conductor really shows in his dramatic response to each tone poem"s lurid story line. The sound has dated somewhat in the nearly four decades since their original release, but as performances, these stand alone. --David Hurwitz