Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volumes 67-70: The Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings

On this CD:

1. La Mer (3), symphonic sketches for orchestra, L. 109
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

2. Work(s)
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

3. Feste romane (Roman Festivals), symphonic poem, P. 157 Circenses
Composed by Ottorino Respighi
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

4. Feste romane (Roman Festivals), symphonic poem, P. 157 Il giubileo
Composed by Ottorino Respighi
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

5. Feste romane (Roman Festivals), symphonic poem, P. 157 L'Ottobrata
Composed by Ottorino Respighi
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

6. Feste romane (Roman Festivals), symphonic poem, P. 157 La Befana
Composed by Ottorino Respighi
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

7. Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 "Pathétique", Op.74
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

8. Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 24
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

9. Symphony No. 9 in C major ("The Great"), D. 944
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

10. A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra with Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

11. Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus, & orchestra ("symphonie dramatique"), H.79 (Op. 17) Scherzo (La Reine Mab)
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

Tracks:

La Mer: From Dawn Till Noon On The Sea
La Mer: Play Of The Waves
La Mer: Dialogue Of The Wind And The Sea
Iberia: In The Streets And Byways
Iberia: Fragrances Of The Night
Iberia: The Morning Of A Festival Day
Roman Festivals: Circuses
Roman Festivals: The Jubilee
Roman Festivals: The October Festival
Roman Festivals: Epiphany

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 'Pathetique' In B Minor: Adagio; Allegro non troppo
Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 'Pathetique' In B Minor: Allegro con grazia
Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 'Pathetique' In B Minor: Allegro molto vivace
Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 'Pathetique' In B Minor: Adagio lamentoso
Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24: Largo: Happy Memories Of Childhood
Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24: Allegro molto agitato: Life And Death Battle
Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24: Meno mosso, ma sempre alla breve: Dreams Of The Dying; Death
Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24: Moderato: Transfiguration

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In C, D. 944, 'The Great': Andanta; Allegro ma non troppo
Symphony No. 9 In C, D. 944, 'The Great': Andante con moto
Symphony No. 9 In C, D. 944, 'The Great': Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 9 In C, D. 944, 'The Great': Allegro vivace

Tracks:

Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Overture
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Intermezzo
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Nocturne
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Song with Chorus
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Wedding March
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Scherzo
Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night's Dream, Opp. 21 And 61: Melodrama And Finale
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Scherzo: Queen Mab

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performances, but the remastering has been improved.......2007-03-04

Arturo Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski briefly switched podiums in 1941. Stokowski's stint with the NBC Symphony Orchestra is largely forgotten, but Toscanini's recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra were the stuff of legend even before they were released in 1963.

The recordings were quite problematic, sonically. The initial 78rpm discs had defects (including off center pressings, which caused the pitch to waver) and were not stored in optimal conditions. It took recording engineers 1,000 hours of work time to make the Schubert C Major Symphony sonically acceptable. Even so, the recordings did not sound good, with screeching strings, unsteady pitch, and an occasional muddy quality.

The 1990 reissue listed here improved the sonic quality considerably, but they have been eclipsed by the Sony/BMG's 2006 remastered version: ASIN: B000JCDSGM

The performances bear the typical Toscanini hallmarks (phrasing, tempo, and unanimity of attack), while still sounding like the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Schubert C Major Symphony and Debussy selections have a slightly more relaxed, flexible quality than his later NBC recordings. Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream selections (including the rarely heard "Ye Spotted Snakes") are charming and transparent, while Resphigi's Feste Romane is orgiastic. The Strauss Death and Transfiguration, while a strong performance, does not have the shattering impact of Toscanini's 1952 NBC recording. Perhaps the highlight of the set is the performance of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony, far more flexible and yearning than either the studio or live NBC versions (the latter in early stereo, but with some slipshod orchestral playing).

Toscanini's Philadelphia recordings.......2006-02-15

What a joy it was to finally hear Arturo Toscanini's 1941-42 recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra. A labor of love went into producing relatively clean recordings from masters that had been defective. Something had gone terribly wrong many years ago and it was believed, by producer Charles O'Connell, that the recordings could never be issued. The signal-to-noise ratios were unacceptable; surface noise was louder than usual. O'Connell believed that wartime restrictions on recording materials may have been part of the problem.

Furthermore, a musicians' union recording ban made it impossible to redo the damaged masters; by the time the ban had ended, the Philadelphia Orchestra had left RCA Victor for Columbia and, presumably, RCA did not want to promote an orchestra that was no longer under contract. The decision was made to record all of the music with the NBC Symphony.

It wasn't until 1963 that RCA Victor finally issued one of the recordings, Schubert's "Symphony No. 9 in C." A lot of work had gone into the process, but the results were clearly worth it. Here was an exciting, even dramatic, spirited performance that clearly rivaled Toscanini's magnificent 1953 recording of the same music with the NBC Symphony. One could also enjoy the brilliant playing by the Philadelphia musicians, a wonderful testament to the years of refinement by Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy. Toscanini brought his own unique qualities to the performance, however, and there is far greater variety in the playing than in many of the recordings the Philadelphia Orchestra made with Stokowski and Ormandy.

In 1977, RCA was able to release the other Philadelphia Orchestra recordings, again spending many, many hours of editing and electronic doctoring. All of these incredible recordings were finally available and one can marvel at the performances. They were all recorded in the historic Academy of Music in Philadelphia, where so many performances and recordings were made over the years. Ormandy decided to record elsewhere after the hall was remodeled in the 1950's and in recent years the orchestra has played and recorded in its own new concert hall.

One clearly recognizes the lush strings of the Philadelphia Orchestra plus the brilliant acoustics of the Academy of Music, before it was remodeled and somewhat acoustically deadened (as can be detected in surviving off-the-air recordings from broadcasts). Here is the added ingredients of the inspired, imaginative conducting of Arturo Toscanini, yet another tribute to perhaps the greatest conductor of the last century.

Another perspective on Toscanini........2002-12-09

Music lovers who appreciate the work of some of the C20th great conductors and who can tolerate 60 year old recorded sound will find much to enjoy in this 4 CD set. It comprises recordings made during 1941-1942 when New York lost Toscanini briefly to Philadelphia. The Philadelphie Orchestra, long trained by Stokowski, took well to Toscanini's discipline, and the recording venue was preferable the studio Toscanini preferred in New York. Recordings totalling about five hours were made, but they suffered so much damage that it seemed unlikely that they could ever be issued. There were rumours that Toscanini's son was trying to fit all the pieces together, jig-saw like, that surivived of the Schubert 9th Symphony recording. Modern processing and re-mastering techniques eventually achieved the near impossible, and modern listeners can now enjoy the performances with ease.

The efforts were worthwhile, inasmuch as we are able to hear the work of the great conductor with different orchestral forces than the ones he usually led, and in better sound than he usually obtained elswhere at the time. All critics and reviewers agree that the Schubert and Tchaikovsky symphonies found here receive the best performances to survive from Toscanini's recorded legacy. The Mendelssohn/Berlioz CD also preserves some exquisite sound textures, even if the marerial might be likened to spun gold rather than the spun silk that other conductors achieve. The Richard Strauss tone poem receives a strong, taught performace also. So there is much here to treasure. In boxed format, it offers everything at a cheaper rate than if the CDs are purchased separately.

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