Toscanini - Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings

$21.99
Label
Sony Masterworks
Release Date
November 14, 2006
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      SCHUBERT STRAUSS DEBUSSY VA
    • PERFORMER
      Arturo Toscanini
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 14, 2006
    • UPC
      886970233125
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      88697023312
    • LABEL
      Sony Masterworks
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      3
    • GENRE
      Orchestral & Symphonic
    Works ⌄

    1. I. Andante - Allegro ma non troppo

      Composer: Franz Schubert

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    2. II. Andante con moto

      Composer: Franz Schubert

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    3. III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace

      Composer: Franz Schubert

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    4. IV. Allegro vivace

      Composer: Franz Schubert

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    5. Largo -

      Composer: Richard Strauss

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    6. Allegro molto agitato -

      Composer: Richard Strauss

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    7. Traume des sterbenden - Tod: Meno mosso, ma sempre alla breve -

      Composer: Richard Strauss

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    8. Moderato

      Composer: Richard Strauss

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    9. No. 1. De l'aube a midi sur la mer

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    10. No. 2. Jeux de vagues

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    11. No. 3. Dialogue du vent et de la mer

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    12. No. 2. Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    13. No. 2. Iberia: b. Les parfums de la nuit -

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    14. No. 2. Iberia: c. Le matin d'un jour de fete

      Composer: Claude Debussy

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    15. I. Circenses

      Composer: Ottorino Respighi

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    16. II. Il Giubileo

      Composer: Ottorino Respighi

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    17. III. L'Ottobrata

      Composer: Ottorino Respighi

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    18. IV. La Befana

      Composer: Ottorino Respighi

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    19. Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fee des Songs

      Composer: Hector Berlioz

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    20. Overture

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    21. Act III: Intermezzo

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    22. Act III: Nocturne

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    23. Act II: Song with Chorus: You Spotted Snakes

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club, Philadelphia Orchestra

      Performer: Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    24. Act V: Wedding March

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    25. Act II: Scherzo

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    26. Act IV: Melodrama: The Removal of Spells

      Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

      Ensemble: University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club, Philadelphia Orchestra

      Performer: Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    27. I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    28. II. Allegro con gracia

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    29. III. Allegro molto vivace

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

    30. IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Philadelphia Orchestra

      Conductor: Arturo Toscanini


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