Description

TOSCANINI'S 1939 BEETHOVEN CYCLE. Complete symphonies and selected overtures from the legendary October-December 1939 NBC cycle. CD 1: Symphony No 1 in C Major, Op. 21 & Symphony No 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica" (Studio 8H, 28 Oct. 1939. CD 2: Symphony No 2 in D Major, Op. 36; Symphony No 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 & Leonore Overture No. 3 (Studio 8H, 4 Nov. 1939). CD 3: Symphony No 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastorale" & Symphony No 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (Studio 8H, 11 Nov. 1939). CD 4: Egmont Overture & Symphony No 7 in A Major, Op. 92 (Studio 8H, 18 Nov. 1939); Leonore Overture No. 1 & Symphony No 8 in F Major, Op. 93 (Studio 8H, 25 Nov. 1939). CD 5: Leonore Overture No. 2 (Studio 8H, 25 Nov. 1939}; Symphony No 9 in D Minor, Op. 1(Jarmila Novotna, Kerstin Thorborg, Jan Peerce, Nicola Moscona, Westminster Choir, Carnegie Hall, 2 Dec. 1939). New digital transfers by Aaron Z. Snyder using the revolutionary harmonic balancing process. Notes: Christopher Dyment. Total time: 6 hrs 12 min. UPC # 0-17685-12032- 9. Special price: 5 CDs priced as 4!

Disc 1 Sound Clips (MP3):

1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21- I. Adagio Molto; Allegro con brio

2. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21- II. Andante cantabile con moto

3. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21- III. Menuetto- Allegro molto e vivace

4. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21- IV. Adagio; Allegro molto e vivace

5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. I. 55- Allegro con brio

6. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55- II. Marcia funebre- Adagio assai

7. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55- III. Scherzo Allegro vivace; Trio

8. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55- IV. Allegro molto; Poco andante; Presto

Disc 2 Sound Clips (MP3):

1. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36- I. Adagio molto; Allegro con brio

2. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36- II. Larghetto

3. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36- III. Scherzo; Trio

4. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36- IV. Allegro molto

5. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60- I. Adagio; Allegro vivace

6. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60- II. Adagio

7. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60- III. Menuetto; Allegro vivace

8. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60- IV. Allegro non troppo

9. Leonore Overture No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b

Disc 3 Sound Clips (MP3):

1. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68- I. Allegro ma non troppo

2. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68- II. Andante molto mosso

3. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68- III. Allegro

4. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68- IV. Allegro

5. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68-V. Allegretto

6. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67- I. Allegro con brio

7. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67- II. Andante con moto

8. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67- III. Allegro

9. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67- IV. Allegro

Disc 4 Sound Clips (MP3):

1. Egmont, incidental music, Op. 84- Overture

2. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92- I. Poco sostenuto; vivace

3. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92- II. Allegretto

4. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92- III. Presto; Assai mono presto

5. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92- IV. Allegro con brio

6. Leonore Overture No. 1 in C major, Op. 138

7. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93- I. Allegro vivace e con brio

8. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93- II. Allegretto scherzando

9. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93- III. Tempo di Menuetto

10. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93- IV. Allegro vivace

Disc 5 Sound Clips (MP3):

1. Leonore Overture No. 2 in C major, Op. 72a

2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125- I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso

3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125- II. Molto vivace

4. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125- III. Adagio molto e cantabile; Andante moderato

5. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125- IV. Finale. Presto; Allegro assai

BUZZ: Classicalnotes.net states: "In general, the early NBC records are the best. To the exquisite architectural balances and subtle tempo modulations of the [NY Phil & BBC recordings] was added a new feeling of overt drama. This element was abetted by [the] recordings, most of which were made in Studio 8-H (familiar to modern audiences as the site of "Saturday Night Live"), in which the flat, dry, unresonant but clear acoustic lent a thrilling immediacy and presence to the performances."

This cycle was previously available on the Relief and Naxos labels (no longer available); our re-issue is from a new source and is sonically vastly superior to the deleted CDs.