"When Toscanini encouraged Nino Rota to study at the Curtis Institute, where guidance by Fritz Reiner and a friendship with Aaron Copland awaited the precocious composer, it was already clear that an outstanding career lay ahead of him, even if its exact course wasn't yet determined. It turned out to be one that straddled classical music and film music, the former informing the latter. This is especially evident when listening to the delightful waltz from Rota's score for the film War & Peace, or the darkly humorous snippets from that for the aptly titled Orchestra Rehearsal".