One of the outstanding musical events of recent times…, announces the original broadcast host at the beginning of the CD. And he’s right. Toscanini 1939 Beethoven festival remains a benchmark in the history of interpretation. Still today, the Italian Maestro’s fast, nervous, incredibly violent and dramatically contrasted performances shed a refreshing light on these all-too-well-known works. The rhythmic precision is amazing, as is the almost hysterical energy and hieratical sound–as dry as concrete–displayed by the NBC musicians under Toscanini’s baton. This “all nerves and muscles” Beethoven may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s still a highly enjoyable and profitable listening experience. The importance of the rhythmic element in Beethoven rarely has been underlined with such powerful authority–including by period instrument performances. And the moving Lento assai from the 16th String Quartet (in Toscanini’s own arrangement) is there to prove that the conductor knew how to shape a singing phrase. Naxos’ remastering engineers have done a little miracle with this release: the sound has an incredible presence and full-bodied quality, with very limited background noise. [3/3/2000]