Search - Cantelli, NBC Symphony :: Artist Profile

Guido Cantelli's Superb Stereo Legacy

T. Beers | Arlington, Virginia United States | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Toscanini protege Guido Cantelli was one of the most promising conducting talents of the post-war period. Tragically, he died (age 36) in a plane crash in 1956 just as he was about to confirm his growing international reputation by taking over the reigns at La Scala as its first-ever permanent Music Director. (Neither Toscanini nor DeSabata had been given that honor.) Luckily for us, Cantelli's immense talent had been recognized immediately after war-time hostilities ended, and he left a few treasurable studio recordings -- as well as a large number of equally superb broadcast performance tapes -- that are a permanent memorial to that talent. Of course, it's impossible to know how Cantelli's talent would have developed had he been granted a long life, but the surviving recordings disclose a conductor with a distinct preference for a lean orchestral sonority, propulsive rhythmic drive and ensemble precision, with vertical and horizontal elements of the score projected in superbly musical balance. If that sounds to you like a description of Toscanini's art, I hasten to add that Cantelli's recordings also reveal a supple plasticity and warmth that is often absent from Toscanini's most famous 1948-1954 NBC recordings. Cantelli in fact often reminds me of a younger Toscanini whose enduring legacy is the series of recordings made with the New York Philharmonic (1929-1936) and with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1941-1942. If you treasure those Toscanini recordings as I do, chances are you will also treasure the recordings in this and other Cantelli collections. Happily, some of Cantelli's last recordings were achieved in good quality stereo sound by EMI engineers in London and RCA engineers (working for EMI) in New York. All of Cantelli's stereo recordings are assembled on this two-CD set. Highlights include the NBC Symphony-performed Franck symphony (an extraordinarily fleet and dramatic performance that quite blows the musty cobwebs off this extremely gloomy score), as well as a stunningly propulsive, but never rushed-sounding Beethoven Seventh with Walter Legge's Philharmonia Orchestra. If you don't know Cantelli's work, begin here, then move on to the mono recordings and broadcast transcripts published by Testament and others. Beyond that, all that is left to any of us is to mourn the wonderful talent that perished on that wretched day in December 1956."

Toscanini's heir apparent

Robert E. Nylund | Ft. Wayne, Indiana United States | 04/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Italian maestro Guido Cantelli (1920-1956) had the benefits of the support and encouragement of the legendary Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957). There was every indication that Cantelli would continue the high musical standards set by Toscanini. Given his youth, he wasn't afraid of conducting more modern music, often beyond what Toscanini dared to conduct.



The recordings Cantelli made before his tragic death in November 1956 (in a plane crash) reveal a superb approach to the music he conducted. Clearly, orchestras responded to his leadership, whether it be Toscanini's own NBC Symphony Orchestra or one of the fine British orchestras.



Fortunately, Cantelli made a number of stereo recordings before his death. All of his recordings tend to have much better sound than many of Toscanini's, probably because Cantelli embraced recording more than his mentor.



Among the celebrated recordings included in this set is the fabulous performance of Franck's "Symphony in d," recorded with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall on April 5, 1954, only one day after Toscanini's final broadcat concert with the orchestra. It was first issued on vinyl by RCA Victor and the stereo version, which appeared long after Cantelli's death, is absolutely amazing.



Many famous conductors have approached this heavy, dramatic, Wagnerian symphony in a "heavy-handed" approach. Cantelli's recording brings out the best in the score, keeping it dramatic and intense without any plodding or any over-indulgence. Franck built his symphony around a core theme and was roundly criticized by the French musical establishment of his day; it was only after his death (in 1890) that the true greatness of the symphony was appreciated. The only challenge for conductors, of course, was to keep the music moving and interesting. Cantelli's performance with the NBC musicians is one to treasure, particularly since it has such incredibly good sound. A longtime music impresario I knew readily applauded this recording as perhaps the best ever made of the symphony.



The recording of the Beethoven seventh symphony first appeared in stereo in the U.S. on a Seraphim disc. The performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra has an intensity that rivals the famous recordings by Toscanini with the New York Philharmonic and the NBC Symphony. In some ways, the recording is better than those by Toscanini; there is great majesty and power in the performance. The symphony has great contrasts and is quite dramatic at times. Cantelli grasped the true meaning of this profound work and achieved a performance that still amazes us.



Overall, there is much to enjoy in these recordings. They show superb leadership and a keen, amazingly mature insight into the music. Little wonder that Toscanini was so impressed with the man who appeared ready to become the Maestro's heir apparent, the true musical successor. Unfortunately, fate decided otherwise and we are left with these musical treasures of a great career cut all too short."

Unexpectedly well recorded performances!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 12/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of critics and a good portion of the great audiences have tended to disparage this Franck's Symphony considering it quite stodgy, bombastic, rhetorical and even old fashioned.



So keeping in mind all these obstacles, Guido Cantelli undertook the task to conduct this Op and he got an overwhelming performance, where the balance, articulation, tension, musculature and a total lack of laggard tempos permitted him to inscribe his name among the reduced list (join to Pierre Monteux) of the finest performances ever made of this Symphony.



Beethoven's Seventh is exceptional too as well as Mozart' s Symphony No. 29.



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