Search - Teatro Alla Scala-Sym Concert :: La Scala Reconstruction Inauguration Concert (May 1946)

Fabulous performances, terrible sound

madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 06/30/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I never did get this recording, which I ordered used, from the dealer listed: they ended up refunding my money. As a result, I had to have a friend of mine from Europe obtain the Naxos Historical series version for me, which (like all their Toscanini issues) is cleaned up as much as can be humanly done. Nevertheless, this concert has survived in such horrible condition--taken from bad private acetates with pitch wavers, severe distortion, surface noise, dropouts etc.--that even Cedar processing and Super Sound Shapers cannot restore any consistent sound quality. Nevertheless, this is one of Toscanini's greatest concerts, especially the Act 3 of Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" with Favero and Malpiero, the absolute finest I have ever heard this music conducted OR sung. Among other highlights (noise and pitch wavers excepted) are the "Theving Magpie" overture, the Prayer from Rossini's "Moses in Egypt" with a young Renata Tebaldi, and one of the most passionate and heartfelt performances of Verdi's "Va, pensiero"--the chorus of the Hebrew slaves--I have ever heard. It is not stetching the imagination too much to think that both Toscanini and his audiences heard in this their own freedom from the yoke of the Fascists and the hated King of Saxony, recently voted out of power; and I for one believe that James Levine used this performance, warts and all, as a basis for his magnificent renditions of this chorus in the recent Met Opera performances of "Nabucco". Because of the sound, however, I recommend this ONLY to music lovers who are willing to listen "through" some of the worst sonics imaginable in order to hear an echo of what occurred that May night in 1946."