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Sony Masterworks

Toscanini - Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings

$21.98

Details

Composer
SCHUBERT STRAUSS DEBUSSY VA
Artist
Arturo Toscanini
Format
CD
Label
Sony Masterworks
Released
Nov 14, 2006
Catalog #
88697023312
UPC
886970233125

About

The main question for collectors familiar with Toscanini's 1941-42 Philadelphia Orchestra recordings concerns how this newly remastered edition (compiled from "original sources", according to Sony/BMG) compares to earlier ones. To my ears, the recordings sound better than ever. Andreas Meyer's transfers reveal a wider spectrum of low, middle, and high-range frequencies as well as more noticeable surface noise, while a few previous instances of pitch waver now are fixed. Loud climaxes that once emerged powdery and diffuse gain considerable definition and color, as Respighi's Roman Festivals and Debussy's Iberia bear out. The boost in dynamic range reinforces the Philadelphia string section's characteristically lush sonority, yet at the same time underlines occasionally scrappy moments like the cross rhythms at the outset of the Tchaikovsky Pathétique's march movement or the overly rushed Mendelssohn Overture and Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Debussy La Mer and Berlioz Queen Mab Scherzo match the point and delicacy of Toscanini's later NBC Symphony studio versions, albeit with a little more warmth, animation, and tonal shading, despite the inferior sonics. By contrast, Strauss' Death and Transfiguration seems relatively ordinary when you consider the extraordinary rhythmic focus and polyphonic delineation distinguishing the Maestro's great 1952 NBC reading.

Critical consensus singles out the Schubert "Great" C major symphony as the prize of the Toscanini/Philadelphia series, and I couldn't agree more. The fire and drive typifying the conductor's 1953 NBC performance is present in a suaver, more massively contoured orchestral context, with notable tempo adjustments such as the subtly effected first-movement transitions and, in the finale, a striking holdback on the unison C-naturals (measures 1058 and on).

I also should make special mention of the first-chair soloists, particularly oboist Marcel Tabuteau's faultless, elegant phrasing and Mason Jones' mellifluous horn work in the Schubert second movement. Whereas RCA's deleted complete Toscanini Edition spread the Philadelphia recordings across four CDs, here everything comfortably fits on three. Obviously this set recommends itself to all Toscanini admirers.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 30 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Andante - Allegro ma non troppo 12:55
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Andante - Allegro ma non troppo
    Duration
    12:55
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  3. 2 II. Andante con moto 12:37
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante con moto
    Duration
    12:37
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  4. 3 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace 08:38
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
    Duration
    08:38
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  5. 4 IV. Allegro vivace 11:41
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    11:41
    Composer
    Franz Schubert
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  6. 5 Largo - 05:03
    Track
    5
    Title
    Largo -
    Duration
    05:03
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  7. 6 Allegro molto agitato - 03:39
    Track
    6
    Title
    Allegro molto agitato -
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  8. 7 Traume des sterbenden - Tod: Meno mosso, ma sempre alla breve - 07:08
    Track
    7
    Title
    Traume des sterbenden - Tod: Meno mosso, ma sempre alla breve -
    Duration
    07:08
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  9. 8 Moderato 07:25
    Track
    8
    Title
    Moderato
    Duration
    07:25
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  10. Disc 2
  11. 1 No. 1. De l'aube a midi sur la mer 08:10
    Track
    1
    Title
    No. 1. De l'aube a midi sur la mer
    Duration
    08:10
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  12. 2 No. 2. Jeux de vagues 06:20
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 2. Jeux de vagues
    Duration
    06:20
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  13. 3 No. 3. Dialogue du vent et de la mer 07:39
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 3. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
    Duration
    07:39
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  14. 4 No. 2. Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins 06:42
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 2. Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins
    Duration
    06:42
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  15. 5 No. 2. Iberia: b. Les parfums de la nuit - 07:17
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 2. Iberia: b. Les parfums de la nuit -
    Duration
    07:17
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  16. 6 No. 2. Iberia: c. Le matin d'un jour de fete 04:25
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 2. Iberia: c. Le matin d'un jour de fete
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  17. 7 I. Circenses 04:38
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Circenses
    Duration
    04:38
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  18. 8 II. Il Giubileo 06:43
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Il Giubileo
    Duration
    06:43
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  19. 9 III. L'Ottobrata 07:15
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. L'Ottobrata
    Duration
    07:15
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  20. 10 IV. La Befana 05:03
    Track
    10
    Title
    IV. La Befana
    Duration
    05:03
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  21. 11 Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fee des Songs 08:04
    Track
    11
    Title
    Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fee des Songs
    Duration
    08:04
    Composer
    Hector Berlioz
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  22. Disc 3
  23. 1 Overture 11:00
    Track
    1
    Title
    Overture
    Duration
    11:00
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  24. 2 Act III: Intermezzo 03:09
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act III: Intermezzo
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  25. 3 Act III: Nocturne 04:59
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act III: Nocturne
    Duration
    04:59
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  26. 4 Act II: Song with Chorus: You Spotted Snakes 03:45
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act II: Song with Chorus: You Spotted Snakes
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk
    Ensemble
    University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club, Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  27. 5 Act V: Wedding March 04:57
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act V: Wedding March
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  28. 6 Act II: Scherzo 04:09
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act II: Scherzo
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  29. 7 Act IV: Melodrama: The Removal of Spells 04:35
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act IV: Melodrama: The Removal of Spells
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk
    Ensemble
    University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club, Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  30. 8 I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo 16:42
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo
    Duration
    16:42
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  31. 9 II. Allegro con gracia 08:01
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Allegro con gracia
    Duration
    08:01
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  32. 10 III. Allegro molto vivace 08:30
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Allegro molto vivace
    Duration
    08:30
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini
  33. 11 IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso 09:07
    Track
    11
    Title
    IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso
    Duration
    09:07
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Arturo Toscanini