Nathan Reiff

I don't know how he could have acquired them, but Nathan possessed many hours of private recordings of Toscanini rehearsing for the final performance he ever conducted of Verdi's La Traviata. As a 16-year-old music student, he invited me and my friend, Seth Winner to his home for lunch while he made the preliminary copies of these recordings for me. They became a huge influence in my subsequent conducting career, and I will always be grateful to him for his generosity and kindness. I was so touched by his passion for music and miss him already. How wonderful to learn from his son David that he was listening to Toscanini and enjoying his beloved music even on his deathbed.

Cesare Civetta, Founder and Music Director,
Beethoven Festival Orchestra