Search - Toscanini, New York Philharmonic :: Orchestra Recordings

The great era of orchestral performance in America

Arthur R. Krieck | New York, NY USA | 09/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These discs document the miracles of ensemble and beauty of orchestral sound whichToscanini created with the Philharmonic during his tenure with this orchestra.. Recorded at the peak of his career, these performances are far more relaxed than his later recorded performances with the NBC and other ensembles. The Philharmonic plays with precision, great beauty and refinement of tone at all dynamic levels. The piani are full bodied; the fortissimi are unforced. The Beethoven Seventh is one of the great recorded performances of the century.The recordings are great achievements for their time, capturing the sound of this orchestra with a naturalness of balance and depth that Toscanini's later recordings never quite matched, in spite of their wider frequency and dynamic range."

Toscanini's best work of the RCA Gold Seal series.

rmskol@inland.com | Chicago, Il | 01/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The NY Philharmonic plays freely but with precision, balance and fine tone. Toscanini merits his reputation with these recordings as the music evokes emotion and excitement. Quality of sound is not perfect; surface noise on some numbers but it does not diminish from enjoyment of the music."

Toscanini with the New York Philharmonic

Robert E. Nylund | Ft. Wayne, Indiana United States | 02/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This four-disc set documents Arturo Toscanini's 10-year tenure with the New York Philharmonic, from 1926 to 1936. They were memorable years because Toscanini revolutionized orchestral playing in America, helping the Philharmonic to achieve greatness that still amazes us. The Philharmonic has had reputation for being hard on conductors, but the musicians greatly admired (and even feared) Toscanini.



One elderly woman, who had sung in New York's Schola Cantorum during the years they performed with Toscanini, said the Maestro was a formidable conductor. She attested to his legendary temper, which sometimes resulted in him breaking batons, tossing scores, and even breaking chairs! The Philharmonic management threatened to fine Toscanini if we kept breaking chairs.



Toscanini hated the recording processes involved in making 78-rpm discs. Nevertheless, he sought the highest standards in playing from the musicians and he tried to persuade Victor to do the best with its recording equipment in Carnegie Hall.



Most of the music recorded is quite familiar and represents works that Toscanini loved. The performances are uniformly top-notch, even if there is some surface noise at times from the surviving discs. (It's unlikely that the original masters have survived, so RCA had to resort to whatever discs it had or could obtain from collectors.)



The Beethoven seventh symphony is one of the most famous of these recordings; it was reissued numerous times during the LP era and it remains an astonishing performance. The energy and intensity of the playing is incredible. I also particularly enjoy his excerpts from Wagner's operas and the 1929 recording of Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Many times the performances with the New York Philharmonic are superior to those he recorded with the NBC Symphony.



Only a year after Toscanini left the Philharmonic, he began conducting the NBC Symphony and he rerecorded most of the music included in these discs. However, despite lower fidelity, these are still excellent recordings. Toscanini always strived for perfection, even when he had to contend with the periodic breaks when the masters were changed for the 78-rpm discs.



Many of these performances were never issued on LPs. RCA preferred to promote the NBC recordings. Their release on CDs has made it possible to compare the work of Toscanini with one of America's finest orchestras.



The very first recordings by Toscanini and the Philharmonic were made for the Brunswick company in 1926; they were Toscanini's first electrical recordings and included the Scherzo and Nocturne from Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream." They remain very charming performances of delightful music, even if there appears to be some stiffness because of the restraints of early electrical recording. The other recordings, made in 1929 and 1936, have much better sound.

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