Arturo Toscanini: The Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings 1941-42

Disc 1
1	Symphony No. 9 in C major
2	Symphony No. 9 in C major
3	Symphony No. 9 in C major
4	Symphony No. 9 in C major
5	Tod und Verklärung (Death
6	Tod und Verklärung (Death
7	Tod und Verklärung (Death
8	Tod und Verklärung (Death
Disc 2
1	La Mer, symphonic sketche
2	La Mer, symphonic sketche
3	La Mer, symphonic sketche
4	Ibéria, for orchestra, L.
5	Ibéria, for orchestra, L.
6	Ibéria, for orchestra, L.
7	Feste romane (Roman Festi
8	Feste romane (Roman Festi
9	Feste romane (Roman Festi
10	Feste romane (Roman Festi
11	Roméo et Juliette, for al
Disc 3
1	A Midsummer Night's Dream
2	A Midsummer Night's Dream
3	A Midsummer Night's Dream
4	A Midsummer Night's Dream
5	A Midsummer Night's Dream
6	A Midsummer Night's Dream
7	A Midsummer Night's Dream
8	Symphony No. 6 in B minor
9	Symphony No. 6 in B minor
10	Symphony No. 6 in B minor
11	Symphony No. 6 in B minor
Arturo Toscanini: The Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings 1941-42
1.	Symphony No. 9 in C major ("The Great"), D. 944 45:32
	Composed by Franz Schubert
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
2.	Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 24 (TrV 158) 23:12
	Composed by Richard Strauss
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
3.	La Mer, symphonic sketches (3) for orchestra, L. 109 22:24
	Composed by Claude Debussy
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
4.	Ibéria, for orchestra, L. 122/2 18:36
	Composed by Claude Debussy
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
5.	Feste romane (Roman Festivals), symphonic poem, P. 157 23:41
	Composed by Ottorino Respighi
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
6.	Roméo et Juliette, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & orchestra ("symphonie dramatique"), H.79 (Op. 17): Scherzo "Queen Mab" 8:04
	Composed by Hector Berlioz
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
7.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, overture, Op. 21 11:00
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
8.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Intermezzo 3:14
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
9.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Nocturne 4:59
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
10.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Song with Chorus 3:52
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
11.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Wedding March 5:01
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
12.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Scherzo 4:15
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
13.	A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Melodrama & Finale 4:44
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
	Performed by Edwina Eustis, Florence Kirk, Philadelphia Orchestra and University of Pennsylvania Women's Glee Club
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
14.	Symphony No. 6 in B minor ("Pathétique"), Op.74 42:20
	Composed by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
	Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra
	Conducted by Arturo Toscanini

All Music Guide

While these recordings of Arturo Toscanini leading the Philadelphia Orchestra were always a matter of pride to RCA -- look, here's America's best-known conductor leading one of America's best-loved orchestras! -- they are also something of an embarrassment to RCA -- look, here's America's best-known conductor leading an orchestra that's not the NBC Symphony, the orchestra he hand picked and we paid for, and sounding a heck of a lot better. What does sounding better mean? It means sounding more polished, more together, more colorful, more comfortable, and a whole lot less intimidated by the man wielding the baton. Where Toscanini seemed to rule the NBC Symphony through a combination of fear, fury, and disdain, he seemed to enjoy his almost collegial relationship with the Philadelphia and the handful of recordings he made with them are far easier to listen to than the plethora of recordings he made with the NBC. In these performances, there's amazing energy in Schubert's "C major Symphony," incredible drama in Strauss' "Tod und Verklärung," tremendous beauty in Debussy's "La Mer" and "Iberia," fabulous colors in Respighi's "Feste romane," evanescent light in the "Queen Mab Scherzo" from Berlioz's "Roméo et Juliette Symphony," elfin grace in the incidental music to Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," and abysmal despair in Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique Symphony." Surely among the very greatest performances in Toscanini's recorded career, this three-disc set belongs in any comprehensive collection of the Italian conductor's work. RCA's remastered sound is clean and direct and lacking only depth and immediacy. James Leonard

Newark Star-Ledger

Thanks to restoration engineer Andreas Meyer, this features the best sound that fans of these recordings have ever enjoyed. Bradley Bambarger