Search - R. Strauss, Toscanini :: Toscanini Plays Strauss

Fabulous Intensity in these "Purist" Recordings

07/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prepared from "in house" source transcription disks that are nearly 'high fidelity' for their time period, these 1938-9 broadcasts feature the highest possible intensity of playing. Fans of the Toscanini strict style will enjoy this, while those who have been weaned on the self-effacing performances of Richard Strauss, or the richly romantic versions of, say, Karajan or Ormandy, will abhor them. Listeners "in the middle" or who may be curious will, however, be rewarded by investigating these interpretations. In both cases, Toscanini reduced the tension and relaxed his tempi in the "official" RCA Victor recordings of 1952-3 broadcasts, now in the BMG Toscanini Collection: those versions are also treasurable, but Toscanini the "young man" (then an amazingly vigorous fellow of a mere seventy!) is represented here, with the bursting vitality of his earliest years with the NBC Symphony. Orchestral discipline is first-rate; high frequencies are clear and crisp; and detail is extraordinarily transparent (though the sound is "cramped" with little acoustical bloom.)No fake stereo has been applied to mar the reproduction; but some ticks and pops are evident. Yet for their style, these recordings are utterly honest depictions of the original broadcasts, and have shattering impact and forcefulness. As a "purist" sound engineer and Toscanini advocate, I have been enjoying these performances for over 30 years: it is now a pleasure to know that they are available at a budget price to a wide audience."