This is one of the marvels of the late Toscanini. The poco adagio is sustained song. This performance-along with those of Munch, Martinon, and Dutoit-is indispensable. The 1953 Eroica, Verdi Falstaff and Othello, Elgar Enigma, and Debussy La Mer are seminal performances of Toscanini from this period in his career. Thanks for up loading.
Thanks be to God for this recording. Absolutely SPLENDID. Each flourish of the final coda is like lightening striking the spray blown from the top of a breaking wave; the warm and weighty glow of it like the assurance of golden sunset seen below the clouds on the far horizon. A MAGNIFICENT live recording. Surely this was in Carnagie Hall.
Finalmente una esecuzione dove non sembra di stare in Chiesa con l'organo che regna su tutta l'orchestra. Equilibrio e forza come solo sa fare Toscanini in tutta la Musica Francese. In questo Concerto Live aveva solo 85 anni.
@halstarkey I'm assuming (correctly?) that this is recorded in Carnegie Hall? Do you have NBC connections? My father was on the second stand in the first violin section.
I have a live BSO Munch performance from 1958 that is far faster than this Toscanini. Often what Munch did in the studio was much more restrained than what he did in the heat of the moment. Likewise his Chasseur Maudit.
Too fast for what? Toscanini could read a score, and was extremely faithful to a composer's intentions. Saint-Saëns was a virtuoso pianist who knew plenty of other virtuosi and was therefore very familiar with brilliant tempi when performed by such people. It might be nice for some to hear "comfortable" or "cosy" performances of energetic music, but if one remembers that a composer like Berlioz had a reputation as an extraordinary conductor, and inspired his players to standards of virtuoso playing that they had not even dreamed they were capable of themselves, then one should not be fearful of fast tempi.
I just checked the timing on the Munch recording and the Toscanini - AT's 1952 version is at 34:45 and Munch, in 1959 completed his classic account in 34:30.
Toscanini était le champion de la musique française,et il le restera
This is one of the marvels of the late Toscanini. The poco adagio is sustained song. This performance-along with those of Munch, Martinon, and Dutoit-is indispensable. The 1953 Eroica, Verdi Falstaff and Othello, Elgar Enigma, and Debussy La Mer are seminal performances of Toscanini from this period in his career. Thanks for up loading.
Thanks be to God for this recording. Absolutely SPLENDID. Each flourish of the final coda is like lightening striking the spray blown from the top of a breaking wave; the warm and weighty glow of it like the assurance of golden sunset seen below the clouds on the far horizon. A MAGNIFICENT live recording. Surely this was in Carnagie Hall.
Very great performance, rich of breath, rhytm and instrumental virtuosity. A cult!
This is the performance of the soul.
This performance was indeed in Carnegie Hall, which then had an organ as NBC's Studio 8H did not.
Great recording. George Crook was the organist.
Wonderful work and glorious performance,
Thank you for posting-John
Never knew they recorded this!
Also relesead for RCA
To say GREAT is not GREAT ENOUGH !
Je suis d'accord !!
Finalmente una esecuzione dove non sembra di stare in Chiesa con l'organo che regna su tutta l'orchestra. Equilibrio e forza come solo sa fare Toscanini in tutta la Musica Francese. In questo Concerto Live aveva solo 85 anni.
Giovane!
I wish Andrew Rose of Pristine would have a go at this. It has the potential to blow the roof off. In a good way.
Doesn't need Andrew. This sounds pretty darned good as it is. The RCA big box CD sounds like this, so I'm assuming this post was made from that.
@halstarkey I'm assuming (correctly?) that this is recorded in Carnegie Hall?
Do you have NBC connections? My father was on the second stand in the first violin section.
@maxreger100
yes is Carneghie Hall , after 1950 all the AT broadcast are from ther. no, I dont have any connection with NBC! .
and your father name?
I love this recording. Sounds like a giant FU to fascism.
28:02
Have you heard the Ormany recording?
Which Ormandy, the mono one from the 1950s (in Symphony Hall), the early 1960s one (in the Academy of Music), or the 1970s one (with Virgil Fox)?
The second of those 3 Ormandys is very good.
A coté de Toscanini Barenboim semble un amateur
Barenboim toujours etáis un amateur... avec une grande carriere et grand ego, mais un amateur. Comme pianiste et comme chef d'orchestre.
I love Toscanini but that last movement is too fast. Listen to the best performance of this work. Try Charles Munch with the Boston Symphony.
I have a live BSO Munch performance from 1958 that is far faster than this Toscanini. Often what Munch did in the studio was much more restrained than what he did in the heat of the moment. Likewise his Chasseur Maudit.
Too fast for what? Toscanini could read a score, and was extremely faithful to a composer's intentions. Saint-Saëns was a virtuoso pianist who knew plenty of other virtuosi and was therefore very familiar with brilliant tempi when performed by such people. It might be nice for some to hear "comfortable" or "cosy" performances of energetic music, but if one remembers that a composer like Berlioz had a reputation as an extraordinary conductor, and inspired his players to standards of virtuoso playing that they had not even dreamed they were capable of themselves, then one should not be fearful of fast tempi.
I just checked the timing on the Munch recording and the Toscanini - AT's 1952 version is at 34:45 and Munch, in 1959 completed his classic account in 34:30.
@@danpastore1885 ,,,
Fine performance, but organ in the finale sounds like… well, I won’t say.