Arturo Toscanini - Symphony of the Air: Cherubini, Smetana, Mendelssohn (1945) [2007]

Pristine Audio has recently received a generous donation of reel to reel tapes containing a number of recordings prepared from original source material for a British collector by Walter Toscanini, son of the Maestro, and taken from the Toscanini archive. Included amongst these are a number of fine and usually complete recordings from the NBC Symphony of the Airseries.

We are presenting these recordings in their entirety as recorded, preserving all announcements and applause as broadcast. In some cases there was an interval talk which was not included in our tapes - we have not attempted to source these.

It appears that the original sources for these recordings would have been 33rpm acetate or vinylite radio transcription discs. Surface noise is usually consistent with this, though occasionally there is the suggestion of 78rpm surface swish as well. However, in each case the original sound quality of the orchestra is superb, and it has been a delight for the restorer to work from such excellent quality, full frequency range recordings.

This concert features, as its main work, Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5, in a fine reading. It was the second of two special concerts broadcast following the end of World War Two - Toscanini's official radio Winter Season of 1945-6 with the NBC Symphony Orchestra began with the concert broadcast on 28th October, 1945 (PASC090).



Tracks:

CHERUBINI Overture to Anacréon
SMETANA The Moldau
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 5, 'Reformation'

Personnel:

NBC Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Arturo Toscanini