29 July 2011

Gershwin plays and conducts Gershwin



Gershwin plays Rhapsody in blue, 3 Preludes, 2nd Rhapsody,
a piano solo extract from Rhapsody in blue and conducts An American in Paris.

recordings: 1927 - 1931

Flac & scans
Megaupload


Dear friends,
and now a break... the blog will return fully active in september.
Have a good, sunny, happy august !!!
















22 July 2011

Rare Toscanini 023 - The first recordings



Note: please discard the cover included in the rar archive and use this one (for details read FEM message in the comment section)




ARTURO TOSCANINI
The first recordings

Not taken from the Rca included in the Toscanini Collection (vol 71 - harsh remastering, unfortunately) but from other sources, including a La Scala celebrative issue, a Symposium CD and some original 78rpm.

Here the sound is more soft, natural and enjoable (if you've the Rca, you can compare). The Finale from Beethoven 5 is presented in two alternative sources.

In appendix a true rarity: the first recording ever made by the New York Philharmonic.

In 1911, after Mahler's death, the Philharmonic appointed Josef Stransky as his replacement. Stransky led the orchestra until 1923 (from 1922 in cohabitation with his successor Willem Mengelberg): and he made the first recording with the orchestra in 1917. Mahler scholar Henry-Louis de La Grange has described J. Stransky as a "conscientious but uninspiring" leader, who allowed the high performing levels achieved by Mahler to fall.

Anyway, only 6 years after Mahler's death, something still remains in the sound of the Philharmonic? Impossible to say, but a fascinating question.




ARTURO TOSCANINI
ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1920-1921


Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
ARTURO TOSCANINI


bonus:

Beethoven Symphony 5 (Andante)
New York Philharmonic
JOSEPH STRANSKY
Studio - january 24, 1917

FLAC - Updated Cover (see comments)

Mega
Updated link


18 July 2011

Dvorak Cello Concerto (Rose) and Franck Symphony NYPO Rodzinski



Another couple of classic NYPO - Rodzinski live recordings (1945), with the young Leonard Rose as soloist in Dvorak.

Flac & scans
(reup - see comments)

17 July 2011

Rare Toscanini 022: Complete NYPO Concert feb 2, 1936 + Brahms Violin Concerto (NYPO, Heifetz - 1935)



Robert Casadesus (Brahms) - Toscanini- NYPO

Complete concert 2 feb 1936

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.2
Brahms: Piano concerto No.2 op. 83 (*)

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture op. 62
Beethoven: Symphony No.4 op. 60

Robert Casadesus, piano (*)
New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI

Live - New York - February 2, 1936

-----------------------------

+ Brahms Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 77 (37:32)
Violin : Jascha Heifetz
Recording Date & Place : February 24, 1935 Carnegie Hall
New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI


Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!rK4AGayA!eMjk7ip-e_0XLCXZkYVQQMVmQX7X88MvLuWzUHFgg4o

14 July 2011

Rare Toscanini 021: Aida and Un ballo in maschera rehearsals




The Rare AT project restarts with
rehearsals for Aida (1949) and Un ballo in maschera (1954).
In appendix the only Bellini recording by Toscanini: Introduction and Druid's Chorus from Norma (December 2,1945).

Flac - Cover

Mega
Updated link

 https://mega.nz/#!iKpiVAoa!Fz9aTnAbrYX1eLnPM_22eDs2TFDNmOfTnN94O7BPGuU