Final Concert at Carnegie Hall, recorded in High Fidelity Stereo: Wagner-Selections for Orchestra,
CD Reviews
Toscanini's Farewell Concert
Robert E. Nylund | Ft. Wayne, Indiana United States | 06/02/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Arturo Toscanini's final two broadcast concerts with the NBC Symphony Orchestra were the only ones to be taped in stereophonic sound. It was all part of RCA Victor's experiments with binaural recording in early 1954; many of these recordings were issued on reel-to-reel tapes and then on "Living Stereo" discs. Unfortunately, the two final Toscanini/NBCSO concerts were not up to his usual standards and he refused to allow them to be released.
It has long been reported that Toscanini suffered a memory lapse during the overture to the Paris version of Wagner's "Tannhauser." The lapse was rather brief, but it caused the orchestra to falter and conductor Guido Cantelli, who was in the broadcast booth of Carnegie Hall, temporarily interrupted the live feed with a recording of Brahms' first symphony. Within a minute, when it was apparent that Toscanini was back in control, the broadcast returned to Wagner's music.
Despite the temporary faltering in the overture and some "nerveless" playing of other pieces, the NBC Symphony still played with great beauty and sensitivity. Perhaps this concert was not up to Toscanini's usual high standards, but the experimental stereo recording clearly gives a better sense of the quality of the orchestra the Maestro led from 1937 to 1954.
Reportedly, the rehearsals for the last two concerts were also taped in stereo and it might have been possible to splice in sections to cover the passages where the orchestra faltered, especially in the "Tannhauser" overture. However, when this concert was first released on disc in the 1980's, the decision was made to include the final rehearsal and the full broadcast without any editing.
As I recall, during the final rehearsal Toscanini spoke mostly in Italian and he clearly lamented what was happening, both to him and to his beloved orchestra. He was very bitter and sad. There is speculation that Toscanini was pressured into retiring, either by his family or by David Sarnoff, the head of both RCA and NBC, or both. We may never know the full story. However, it is known that he signed a letter of resignation and the April 4, 1954, concert was his last. The NBC Symphony was later reorganized as the Symphony of the Air and continued to make recordings and give concerts until 1961.
The beauty of Wagner's music and the fine playing of the NBC Symphony can be clearly appreciated in the experimental recording. While the sound is not as spacious or impressive as most of the "Living Stereo" recordings of the Boston and Chicago orchestras of the same time, there is still a greater dimension in the recording than in most of Toscanini's well-known monaural recordings.
Remarkably, just two months later, Toscanini returned to Carnegie Hall to again conduct the NBC Symphony in portions of Verdi's "Aida" and "A Masked Ball" so that the broadcast performances of those opera could be commercially released by RCA Victor. Those present say it was amazing that Toscanini had completely recovered and was fully in charge again. The recording sessions of June 1954 were a great success. There were hopes that Toscanini might conduct more concerts and recordings, but health problems prevented that from occurring and the Maestro spent most of his remaining life participating in the editing of unreleased recordings.
So, this is among the final documents of Toscanini's extraordinary career, which had begun in Rio De Janeiro in 1886 when he was only 19 years old. For those of us who admire Toscanini's incredible achievements, it is well worth having this historic recording, even if it isn't absolutely perfect."
Genuine Stereo by Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony!
Robert E. Nylund | 09/17/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At last, after decades of fake stereo attempts by RCA Victor, Victrola, and numerous botched "bootleg" CDs, Toscanini is represented in a genuine two-channel recording which truly displays the full stereophonic perspective. Made during the radio broadcast on NBC on 4 April 1954, using a stereophonic pickup and recording system separate from the monaural feed used for the network transmission, this recording is one of several tests done in stereo by RCA; others include the Rossini "Barber of Seville" overture and Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony broadcast of 21 March 1954 (rumor has it that an RCA executive accidentally erased the master tape of the "Pathetique" symphony's dramatic third movement, thus defacing the complete recording, which was circulated in "samizdat" bootleg tapes with stereo in movements 1, 2, and 4, but fake stereo in #3!) Do not expect an enhancement of spatial richness: the mike placement seems almost claustrophobically close to the ensemble, and separation is exaggerated. It is so dry sounding that the venue could almost be Studio 8-H; the reflection of Carnegie Hall reverberation and bloom is largely lost, overshadowed by the incident instrumental pickup. Toscanini became perturbed at this, his last NBC broadcast, and lost his concentration during the Tannhauser "Venusberg" section; the producers panicked and cut him off the air, but here -- on this tape -- he and the orchestra martial their resources and plod along, avoiding a total breakdown. The effect is very poignant and sad, and might upset some listeners who are sensitive to the significance of the event. Interpretatively, each work is performed with greater intensity and polish in a commercial Toscanini recording, as this concert definitely represents an "off day" of the Maestro. The Siegfried "Forest Murmurs" is the best played; the end of the Meistersinger, and the confusion in the Venusberg music, the worst. The source is a close copy of the original master tape, and there is not too much hiss or distortion. For further information on those early RCA "Living Stereo" experiments, consult the fascinating RCA / BMG CD tribute to the RCA music producer, John Pfeiffer.I would suggest that in future, this tape recording of the musical events of the concert be reissued with excerpts from the actual radio aircheck, particularly the famous interruption during the Tannhauser music. One hears the orchestral playing degenerate into very ratty and sour incoherence; the music fades; the control room mike is brought up and one hears rustling; Ben Grauer speaks, in a rather abrupt and strained manner, explaining that "technical difficulties" have caused the program to be stopped; then there is the off-mike sound of a cue -- probably given by Don Gillis -- and the engineer starts up the commercial Toscanini RCA Red Seal LP record of the Brahms First! This plays for a while, but cross-fades back into the Venusberg music, now once again being conducted by Toscanini, who has resumed his concentration. The account of this given in Samuel Chotzinoff's book is grotesquely incorrect, as this aircheck recording corroborates. When the first edition of Robert Marsh's book on Toscanini's records was issued, the actual events were still in question, since the aircheck tapes had not been circulated and many had not heard, or had forgotten, the actual broadcast. By the 1980s, many Toscanini collectors all around the world had heard the "bootleg" recording: for example, I was privileged once to hear it from an amateur tape taken down from WNBC-AM in New York. I hope that Music & Arts or some other enterprising company will try to append this historic tape to the stereophonic tracks of the complete musical part of the broadcast."
"April 4 1954. The Carnegie Hall is specially proud and honored for the presence of the great Aruro Toscanini. The NBC Orchestra will perform a whole program dedicated in Wagner 's memory.
The whole stage is disposed for such monumental occasion. The Italian master has arrived to the 87th anniversary. Three generations of listeners have known about him. The Hall was full crowded.
This day is to many people, perhaps the first experience to watch the mythic conductor; but no one knows the special transcendence and unforgettable evening that will be hard to forget.
The memory; that enviable faculty that distinguishes us of the rest of the species the fabulous mechanism that allows us to recreate the most vivid and past experiences in real time, this astonishing gift of Gods, this impeccable electric neuronal flow is at the verge of the collapse, in the fecund mind and outstanding of Toscanini.
This abominable memory 's fail will appear without previous announcement, a true unexpected guest in that musical session. At that fatidic moment, everybody has suspended the breathing, a gelid air has invaded even the most apathetic o the listeners. Toscanini has suspended suddenly the magic flight of his genial baton. Something terrible has happened; the members of the orchestra simply do not know what to do A silence of ice and a vague sensation of anguish empowers of all the people in the Hall.
For all of us, who did not live certainly the historic moment and were too far and even were not born, the sorrowful experience still awe us. Toscanini is living the worst moment of his brilliant career.
This musical document contains this unpleasant fact. For the young and new generations to come, it must be an absolute must to acquire this treasured episode. Many of us who appreciate the craft of Toscanini, who vibrated and lived his intense and mercurial temperament along so many registers, simply can not do without of this recording.
The Italian Master would never conduct again, and we agreed with him. This would be his last public appearance.
"
Actually, quite good
madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 05/15/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The myths surrounding this final concert do not jibe with the realities. The legend - unfortunately perpetrated as much by Toscanini adherents such as B.H. Haggin as well as by the conductor's detractors - says that all the performances are "stiff," lacking in flexibility, and that the "Tannhauser" Bacchanale is a disaster because that is where the Great Conductor "broke down."
The actual recording says otherwise. Yes, there are weak moments and lapses, but not in the "Tannhauer" or the final "Meistersinger" prelude. The "Siegfried" forest murmurs is a clumsy, disjointed performance; the music completely lacks the elegant flow of his commercial recording. And in the "Gotterdammerung" Dawn and Rhine Journey, there is not only discontinuous phrasing but the trombones crack notes all over in one section.
On the other hand, the Act 1 prelude to "Lohengrin" is simply gorgeous; the "Meistersinger" prelude is invigorating and richly detailed; and the infamous "Tannhauser," though experiencing the one stiff moment (it lasts about a minute) when the maestro stopped conducting, is actually a looser, more relaxed and fluid reading than his mono recording. So, a good buy, for both Toscanini and Wagner fans...and the sound quality reveals the NBC Symphony to have actually had a warm sound, contrary to so many of the commercial recordings."
Test Stereo!
Andre Gauthier | 08/31/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"In 1954 John Pfeiffer, the producer of many of RCA's most famous recordings, went to each orchestra on the immediate RCA list to "test" the concept of stereo recording. Thus we have this document, sad as it is. The Toscanini estate never wanted it put out. The earlier Toscanini concert in "stereo" (It was made in March of 1954, possibly the week before this concert) included a Tchaikovsky 6th in which the orchestra makes mistakes in many places. I know of several people that have copies, but have never seen that in any form of commercial release. It is not representative of this musicians best work, especially in that symphony. Beyond that, Pfeiffer did not anticipate the amount of tape needed for the march, so the very ending of this somewhat dim reading is suddenly back in a boxy mono sound. One can even hear the attempts to make "fake stereo" come to pass by raising one channel or another; this did not work. The fake stereo used on the RCA Victrola releases of Toscanini's large body of work was achieved in a most interesting way. I've heard literally hundreds of people guess what has been done, but nobody has yet to get it right. I think I'll leave it that way, even though Pfeiffer told me exactly how it was accomplished. I thought "electronic stereo" (there's a hint in the name) occasionally helped what was afterall a signal often taken from a TELEPHONE line from Studio 8H down to the RCA studios as late as the mid-1940s. These never exceeded 5Khz in the upper register.
Other stereo records made in 1954 by Pfeiffer and his team of experimenters were "Ein Heldenleben", with Reiner/Chicago and "Damnation of Faust" with Munch/Boston. The "Heldenleben" is RCA's first truly successful stereo recording. It was not released in stereo until 1958. The "Damation" was never released in stereo, ever, because the final scene, the "Ride to Hell", had been incorporated into a "demo tape" in 1954 that was then lost forever. Too bad that Pfeiffer chose to issue the mono version rather than explaining that the last 10 minutes had to be made from a short mono tape and explaining why. The rest of the piece is in excellent early stereo. What a shame!
1954 was a seminal year for RCA. The stereo recordings were made on machines better known to those that worked with them as "tinker toys". They resembled early Wallensack recorders of the period, that forced the use of very short reels because the machines were not only simple but tiny. The recordings were made just as mono tape recordings by RCA. They were all at done at the rate of 30 IPS, which became the industry standard until the 60s. The very best mono recording I know of, is the first version of Rigoletto ever put on tape by RCA with Warren/Berger et.al. It is the first taped opera by an American company. Sadly, even though that recording was remastered from the original "date tapes" (the tapes actually used in the original studio recording), the opera was not issued by RCA, but was instead put on the market by Preisser. All they did was declicked some very glossy sounding LPs probably made long after the original masters had worn out.
If you wish to hear the NBC Orchestra in stereo, then have at it. This is really a document of Toscanini's last concert, period. Compared to the Chicago and Boston recordings, it doesn't even compete, Toscanini or no.
The mic set-ups for the three orchestras were all exactly the same. Pfeiffer himself described the situations to me on several occasions. (I worked for and with him for 7 years during the mid '80s and early '90s.) Two Neumann M50 microphones were used, period, and were placed on the apron of the various stages. Toscanini's is taken from the stage of a very dry Carnegie hall. Beware if it sounds too lush. The original tapes most certainly were not! By '56 the technology was in place, but commercially avaiable stereo record players weren't available. It was rather like the CD situation in, say, 1983, when there were for example only two Christmas CDs in any store. Two years later there were hundreds! 1958 was the first year that stereo was truly popular with public and LP labels alike.
I wouldn't buy this CD unless I was the most diehard Toscanini fan. Even then, it will disappoint unless you simply MUST hear the placement of different instruments on the stage; if you're into S/M and you want to hear the old man nearly fall apart, this CD is perfect. The final concert, by the way, was not as successful as was the earlier stereo recording. This "Final Concert" recording says "remastered in hi-fidelity stereo". What the heck that means, I can't tell you. Does it imply that it might have been mastered in mono? Buyer beware."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1