Richard Strauss: Tod und Verklärung (1942) Toscanini/Philadelphia

Richard Strauss
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24

Arturo Toscanini, conductor
The Philadelphia Orchestra

Recorded on January 11, 1942
at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia

Toscanini's approach to the present score is quite revealing of his artistry, and we are easily reminded of the reason he was so revered on the podium. His interpretation of the score here is a marvel of expression and orchestral texture.

His ultimate dedication to the meaning of the original score, and his ability to put as much heart into the performance as he felt was required make this an exceptional performance in every respect. He clearly felt no need to hold back on the feeling, and the performance is as tender and meaningful as any to be found, including those by the composer himself. The dynamics here are remarkable. Toscanini begins at pianissimo as soft as a sigh, and elevates it to thunderous dimensions in the musical depiction of pain and struggle.

The present recording comes to our time in fairly worn condition. Our approach here is to do as little as possible and let the dynamic range of the performance come through without a lot of filtering or noise reduction. We have, however, opted to return the recording to its original level for the sake of accuracy.

Field acoustic and sonic restoration (2024): Paul Howard - The Yucaipa Studio

FIELD NOTE: TURN ENHANCEMENT SOFTWARE OFF!!

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