This complete Toscanini/NBC Orchestra concert may be the high point of the conductor’s 1939 broadcast Beethoven cycle. The present transfer stems from excellent “inside” source lacquers, equalized to less strident results than the more expensive edition on the Swiss Relief label. While NBC’s studio 8-H lacks the resonance of a concert hall, the engineering captures the full scope of Toscanini’s dynamic, colorful, and bottom-heavy sonority. The performances differ from their 1950s commercial counterparts. Note, for instance, the Egmont Overture’s broader inflections of tempo and phrase, and wind solos borne out of fear. The Septet was a Toscanini specialty of the house, for which he retained the solo woodwinds but used the full string section to dazzling, concerto grosso effect. You’ll also hear traces of string portamentos absent from the Maestro’s 1951 studio recording. Listeners familiar with Toscanini’s commercial Beethoven Sevenths will find the same rhythmic drive and coiled lyricism channelled through a more massively textured orchestral framework. The laughing woodwind triplet figures in the Scherzo literally dance off of Toscanini’s baton, while the conductor’s fast tempo for the Trio section atypically slackens. All admirers of the Maestro should consider this release a major acquisition.
