Sir Thomas Beecham live in Helsinki 1954 (reup)

Partially published on a Ondine CD (Tapiola & Symphony no7),
here - from a radio broadcast source - the complete concert conducted by Beecham in Helsinki - Sibelius Festival june 17, 1954.

As a "Bonus" - to fill the second CD - again two Sibelius 7 by Sir Thomas: the New York 1942 and above all the 1955 version, one of the best recordings ever made of this work (with Mravinsky and Barbirolli, of course) and Finlandia (LPO, 1938). NYPO Seventh and Finlandia are not taken from Dutton & Naxos CDs but from 78rpm.



SIBELIUS

Symphony No. 6 (27.55)
Tapiola (17.40)
The Tempest, Incidental Music (27.56)
Symphony No. 7 (19.36)

Helsinki City Symphony Orchestra
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM

Concert of June 17, 1954 - Sibelius Festival


+ SIBELIUS
Symphony no. 7 (19.04)
New York Philharmonic
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
Studio, 1942 - from Columbia 78rpm set XO 32946-60

Symphony no. 7 (20.27)
Royal Philharmonic
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
Studio, november 1955 - EMI

Finlandia (8.56)
London Philharmonic
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
Studio, 1938 - from 78rpm


reup 2019 (see comments)

Rare Toscanini 027 - Salzburg 1937 & NY 1945

The fragments from Salzburg Festival are among the rarest Toscanini documents posted until now.
A shortwave broadcast carefully restored by me, with a lot of work. Pant! Pant! Puf! Puf!

Not only, but the Strauss - in my opinion - is really a MUST in the entire history of the recorded music.

Then, his last NYPO concert: again, AT at his best.


Flac - Cover

Mega
Updated link 2019

(see comments)

Couperin, Bizet, Saint-Saens - Casadesus NYPO Rodzinski (reup)

A "French concert" conducted by Rodzinski in New York.
La Sultane (Overture and Allegro) is presented in the re-orchestration by Darius Milhaud.

Live Recordings - 1944

Flac & Scans
reup (see comments)

Rare Toscanini 026 - The Red Cross Concert 1944 - NYPO & NBC

Hi friends!

I spent ten days WWWW (Without WWW): problems, problems and problems again with my ç@%/ò# Internet provider.

Well, everything (I hope) finally resolved.

Meanwhile I've ripped some cds and prepared some uploads...
Here the first.




THE RED CROSS CONCERT 1944


WAGNER

Tannhäuser, Overture
Siegfried's Rhine Journey (horn: Albert Stagliano)
Tristan und Isolde, Prelude and Liebestod
Ride Of The Valkyries

intermission: speech of the NY Mayor, Fiorello La Guardia

VERDI

Rigoletto, Act III

Gilda........ Zinka Milanov
Maddalena.... Nan Merriman
The Duke..... Jan Peerce
Rigoletto.... Leonard Warren
Sparafucile.. Nicola Moscona

Hymn of the Nations
Jan Peerce, tenor


SOUSA
Stars And Stripes Forever

All City High School Chorus
(Peter Wilhousky, choirmaster)
NBC Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI
NY, Madison Square Garden - May 25, 1944


Bonus:

Hymn of the Nations
Jan Peerce, tenor
NBC Symphony Orchestra
ARTURO TOSCANINI

NBC, Studio 8H - December 8 & 20, 1943

Cover - Flac

Mega
Updated link

(see comments)

Rare Toscanini 025 - More NYPO recordings

(with broadcast announcements)

WEBER
Die Freischütz, overture

VERDI
Aida: Ritorna Vincitor!
(Dusolina Giannini, soprano)

SAINT-SAENS
Danse Macabre

DEBUSSY
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

GOLDMARK
Rustic Wedding Symphony - III mov (Serenade)

WAGNER
Lohengrin: Prelude Act III

New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI
Live - March 1, 1936


BEETHOVEN
Symphony no. 5 in C minor op. 67

New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI
Live - NY, Carnegie Hall - March 6, 1931


The complete concert given by AT on march 1, 1936: very short, because Dusolina Giannini sang part of the program accompanied at the piano by Edwin McArthur.
So, in addiction I've included a Beethoven 5th recorded in 1931 (live).

Flac - Cover

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!vf4AiC7b!ZpclmtmmL6UXRTq_bQiio-Fm3oloO5xSoxcYRr4KLWE

Beecham - All Mozart Concert 1947 (reup)

A rare (unpublished, I think) All Mozart Concert with Beecham's second wife at the piano + broadcast announcements and brief intros to each work by Sir Thomas.

Btw, The RPO gave his first concert in 1946 (sept 15).
So, one of the oldest documents of STB on the podium of his latest "creature".


MOZART

The Magic Flute, overture
Divertimento in D Major K. 131
Piano Concerto n. 19 in F Major K. 459 (*)
Le Nozze di Figaro, overture

Betty Humby Beecham, piano (*)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
April 28, 1947

+ Beecham - collected interviews & speeches

Flac - reup
(see comments)

Rare Toscanini 024 - Beethoven 8 & 9 - NYPO, Toscanini

Here a complete NYPO concert given by Toscanini at the Carnegie Hall: march 8, 1936 - with broadcast announcements.
Plus a rare 8th with the BBC SO and Adrian Boult, HMV 1932, directly taken from a 78' set. Nice, nice material.

Cover - Flac


And.... thanks for the 250.000 visits ;-)

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!jG5kzIZb!PiLxtxLFDNjzz0ve4eCySetOkhag-FTGlo2c8z4WrHo

Pictures at an Exhibition - Dorati & Reiner

How many orchestral versions of "Pictures at an Exhibition" do you have in your collection?
The answer is "Too many", I suppose :)

But here you can find 2 very rare recordings - never on CD (?) - by two great virtuoso conductors (and orchestras).

Dorati: studio recording on Philips (1953)
Reiner: live broadcast - NY (1960)


Flac - reup
(see comments)

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 !!!

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

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

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

Rare Toscanini 020: Missa Solemnis (NYPO 1935) + Sibelius, Bach-Wood, Strauss

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Missa Solemnis in D Major, op. 123 (82:36)

Elisabeth Rethberg - Marion Telva
Giovanni Martinelli - Ezio Pinza

Pietro Yon (organ)
Schola Cantorum - New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI

April 28,1935
New York, Carnegie Hall - Live recording

acetates from AM radio broadcast - NOTE: In the "Credo" the "Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas" (6 bars) is missing


Sibelius: En Saga
March 29, 1936 - Live, Carnegie Hall

Bach-Wood: Toccata & Fugue BWV 565
February 23, 1936 - Live, Carnegie Hall

Strauss: Salome - Dance of the seven Veils
January 27, 1935 - Live, Carnegie Hall

New York Philharmonic
ARTURO TOSCANINI



This selection includes some or the rarest Toscanini documents posted until now.

The recording quality of the Missa Solemnis is certainly poor, but (particularly in the Credo and in the Sanctus) this performance contains wonderful moments.

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!uPhkzKyJ!5y_lad5m7jYYYSfbC9Cm6JpPuzbfzXW-6M4VrD3UGWY

Rare Toscanini 019: All Wagner - BBCSO 1937

TOSCANINI BBCSO - ALL WAGNER CONCERT

Part I (54:57)
01 Announcement
02 God Save the King
03 Faust Overture
04 Lohengrin: Act I prelude
05 Lohengrin: Act III prelude
06 Tannhauser: Overture and Venusberg Music

Part 2 (44:16)
01 Siegfried Idyll
02 Siegfried: Waldweben
03 Gotterdammerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey
04 Die Walkure: Walkurenritt
05 Final announcement

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Toscanini
London, Queen's Hall, June 16, 1937 - Live


Bonus
Friedlinde Wagner (1918-1991), Richard's granddaughter,
in conversation with Ben Grauer about Toscanini in Bayreuth
NBC Broadcast: January 2, 1967 (13:58)


Another GREAT surprise from Wagnerite; many, many thanks!

Again I've removed the biggest clicks & pops and made minor adjustments.
Hope you like also the other (little) surprise in appendix.

Flac with cover & infos

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!3bpmWIhD!9GJC7S7mvD5NJNoYPUBV8TV6ZQ8ev_f9ykTMrCgOXXw

Rare Toscanini 018: Bach & R. Strauss - BBCSO (1938)

Bach & Strauss recordings kindly provided by Wagnerite:

A big surprise, and an unexpected extra-volume of the BBC - Toscanini survey.
Thank you again, dear Wagnerite, for the marvellous gift.

I've joined the separated files and - with a spectral cleaner - I've eliminated manually 200 (circa) clicks, pops & big "tocs" (I don't like the "automatic" declicking & decrackling). Then a very little filtering and a final conversion in flac.




British National Anthem "God Save the King"
BBC Symphony Orchestra
ARTURO TOSCANINI
May 19, 1938 - London, Queen's Hall - Live

Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (fragment)

Richard Strauss
Don Quixote

Emanuel Feuermann
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Toscanini

May 23, 1938 - London, Queen's Hall - Live


bonus
Emanuel Feuermann plays his own transcriptions of
Chopin Nocturne Op.9/2 & Falla Jota (Theodore Saidenberg, piano)
and talks with Bob Burns
Kraft Music Hall, August 22, 1940.



note:
bizarre interferences (????) in Brandenburg Concerto fragment
some little gaps in Don Quixote - and something strange happens from 8:47, but I left the source as it was.


Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!jGAUVQLZ!0pALzT6pKb6NgxB7jyGsv0QWeD6iTV1HWqjOLr35u50

Rare Toscanini 017: Verdi - Requiem BBCSO

Verdi - Requiem
Cherubini - Anacreon, overture
Mozart - Symphony no. 35
Beethoven - Symphony no. 7

BBC Symphony Orchestra
ARTURO TOSCANINI

Flac + cover

Mega
Link updated

https://mega.nz/#!eSoSFYZT!hEZavM--cDR6jN3L3sV1DurqzisDjwTlcMdujj8Zrso

Rare Toscanini 016: Missa Solemnis BBCPO

1939 Live recording -  again BBCSO / Toscanini.

Flac & Cover

Mega
Link updated

https://mega.nz/#!KLpW0C7J!c1ls_7j6WC-2YqC41du6ZxYVG7RIu-V2v1cKCgOqV3o

Rare Toscanini 015: Mozart, Rossini, Debussy, Elgar BBCSO

Two "Must" in Toscanini legacy:
La Mer & Enigma Variations with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.


flac + scans


Mega
Link updated

 https://mega.nz/#!PfpyySTA!39U3nxWVeN80KGtE6WLw2WwWPFTS6rvLgQwHaYmDwXE

Rare Toscanini 014: Beethoven 4&7, Prometheus - BBCSO

Flac + cover

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!vHgkECrT!lSd2p0VZJPktmp2VBGZYXslFvkC8YXaeWToi1Ik3gkg

Rare Toscanini 013: Weber, Mendelssohn, Sibelius - BBC SO

After a little pause, more Toscanini - BBC.

This selection includes the oldest recording of Sibelius 2 conducted by the "maestrissimo"


flac + cover

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!CH5A0aKI!PpMuRTCoryGHOcYC87ddC-sWdluuy39tUV4RgpnDm3M

Rare Toscanini 012: Brahms 2&4 BBCSO

The BBC - Toscanini continues...

Flac + cover

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!SDgyCKoR!W4tBji83ld9uDalGfizK31RpqDa0SFrdXcUMTypmgYo

Rare Toscanini 011: Beethoven 9 with the BBC SO

Recorded in november 1937.

Plus a very interesting interview:
Sir Adrian Boult talks about the BBC years of Toscanini

Flac + cover

Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!bCBgQYoB!iBzrLs113OpLM6Z4UQzTHThlJKj555DPj-RedE209W0

Wilhelm Furtwängler in rehearsal (LVB Leonore III, Symphonies 7&9)

Wilhelm Furtwängler
rehearsals


LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Leonore III

Stockholm Philharmonic
Stockholm - nov 12, 1948
-------------------------------
Symphony no. 7 - II mov

Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Lucerne - aug 15, 1951
----------------------------------
Symphony no. 9 - III & IV mov

Gré Brouwenstijn, Ira Malaniuk,
Wolfgang Windgassen, Ludwig Weber

Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus
Bayreuth - aug 8, 1954


All the surviving Beethoven rehearsals by WF apart from a very rare fragment of Leonore II in Bremen (1950)... Anyone can provide it?

Flac + cover

MU & FS links

Rare Toscanini 010: Wagner with the BBCSO (Live 1935)

A great Wagner selection, in good sound for the period.
In appendix, the daughter of the maestro (Wally Toscanini) in conversation with Ben Grauer. Milan, 1964


Flac + cover


Mega
updated link

https://mega.nz/#!OSREVSgZ!CsFD-ER--SqIHGyviFIkkIQE0n1Erw7mO6KRU-AB_4s

Rare Toscanini 009: Beethoven 1&6 - BBC 1937

The best "Pastoral" by AT (IMHO).
Flac &"updated" cover (please read the comments)


Mega
updated link

https://mega.nz/#!jTQCiCTa!1sw-8oaI0-nH3eh83Ogz5A3O5LTN_WQe6NIuezzCXn0

Rare Toscanini 008: Die Meistersinger (Salzburg 1936)

RICHARD WAGNER

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Act I, excerpts

Hans Sachs........ Hans Hermann Nissen
Walther........... Charles Kullmann
Eva............... Lotte Lehmann
Magdalena......... Kerstin Thorborg
Pogner............ Herbert Alsen
Beckmesser........ Hermann Wiedemann
Kothner........... Viktor Madin
Vogelgesang....... Georg Maikl
Nachtigall........ Rolf Telasko
Zorn.............. Anton Dermota
Eisslinger........ Eduard Fritsch
Moser............. Hermann Gallos
David............. Richard Sallaba
Ortel............. Alfred Muzzarelli
Schwarz........... Carl Bissuti
Foltz............. Karl Ettl

Wiener Staatsoper Choir
Wiener Philharmoniker
ARTURO TOSCANINI

Salzburg Festspielhaus, august 8, 1936


Shortwave broadcast was interrupted after 73'

Listening carefully you can hear Toscanini singing during the overture :-))))

Flac + cover

Mega - Link updated
https://mega.nz/#!TKQ0zSCB!OPIOZu_L_Q36teyGa7_RZi2cX9B5pkTOkbmIbZFZYc8

Rare Toscanini 007 - Fidelio fragments (Salzburg 1936)

BEETHOVEN
Fidelio (excerpts)

Leonore...     Lotte Lehmann
Rocco.....      Anton Baumann
Pizarro.....     Alfred Jerger
Marzelline..  Luise Helletsgruber
Jaquino...      Hermann Gallos

Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Wiener Philharmoniker
ARTURO TOSCANINI

Live - Salzburg, 16 August, 1936

+ Overture Leonore I, op. 138
BBC Symphony Orchestra
ARTURO TOSCANINI

Studio - London, Queen's Hall, June 1, 1939


Bonus: Leonore III
Wiener Philharmoniker - Franz Schalk


According to the book "More EJS: discography of the Edward J. Smith recordings" by W. Shaman, W.J. Collins and C. M. Goodwin (1999) the correct date is august 16, 1936; the performance has been misdated in several sources (24 july, 26 august, and so on).

Note: Unfortunately, the little "jump" at the beginning (0:31) of the overture is present in all the available sources.

The correct date for Leonore n. 1 is June 1, 1939



Flac & cover

Mega - Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!SbAwmCaK!nBnL_WwcDrdf0cEpxKxZGv40Z5qorrBkrYhDT2_BbqM

Rare Toscanini 006: NYPO and WP Live

Another selection of rare live recordings captured in New York and Salzburg.

Mozart Symphony No. 40 completes the program of the concert (april 26, 1936) included in RT 001.


Note:
I know, Leonore 3 was already included in the same Toscanini upload, but (since there was still a little space) here you can listen for an alternative source.


Mega
updated link

https://mega.nz/#!ieByBa4Z!vJW1pfY57AEsZdCysLtxuwpXolcAo5Ce2xhqyu62Ojc

Rare Toscanini 005 - The complete La Scala 16 sept 1948 Concert

Rossini, Schubert, Verdi, Tchaikovsky and finally Pictures at an Exhibition...
Really a big program for this concert given by Arturo Toscanini at La Scala in 1948 (16 september)

Flac and cover
Concert program in the folder


Mega
Updated link

https://mega.nz/#!2GoARaob!em_iZhmK23s5qXZyHQkCdDUCj-tLaw11NJbMo8Pl5Zw

Rare Toscanini 004 - Berlioz program 1949, Dress rehearsal

Complete dress rehearsal
for the 12 february 1949 all-Berlioz concert



BERLIOZ

Roman Carnival, ouverture op. 9
Queen Mab Scherzo (from Romeo & Juliet)
Harold in Italy, op. 16 (*)


Carlton Cooley, viola (*)
NBC Symphony Orchestra
ARTURO TOSCANINI

NBC, Studio 8H - february 11, 1949


tt 1.17.13


Mega
updated link

https://mega.nz/#!qHgB3CpA!YVe9DPBpPktcSqfTu7ulYXtCtjXhXKwaz_s8OHz6dEk