Arturo Toscanini’s
regular NBC broadcasts have been well
documented. Guild’s ‘Toscanini Legacy’
reflects a carefully selected melange
of circumspection and adventure. Very
often the repertoire chosen has overlapped
studio recordings. Richard Caniell has
justified this duplication in terms
of vitality of performance. However,
LPs and later CDs from these broadcasts
have long been available commercially
from RCA, so what special reason brings
their issue here? In a detailed explanation
on pages 32-33 of the comprehensive
booklet, Caniell sets out the explanation
and justification. The crux of his argument
is that neither the original RCA vinyls
nor later CD issues faithfully represented
the quality of sound possible from the
masters. They reflect ‘considerable
attenuation of the sonic spectrum …and
... the addition of some electronic
echo!’ To overcome these perceived
limitations Caniell and his team have
gone back to what he calls ‘original
sonics taken from the lacquers (‘linechecks’).
These are said to ‘offer bright,
clear, dry sound of considerable detail
and stunning impact, superior, in our
hearing, to the RCA/BMG Compact Disc
set’. This is despite some deficiencies
in the lacquers and a few instances
of line leakage.
Listening to the performance
with some care, I noted some odd moments
of surface grit noise and also of overload
distortion. However, overall there is
a clarity, or lack of veiling, that
many will welcome. The other added value
to the issue is to be able to hear Toscanini’s
orchestral rehearsal from Act III, complete
with his singing to provide the vocal
line, (CD 3 tr. 1). This took place
on 11th December and is followed
(tr. 2) by a portion of the ‘Dress Rehearsal’
from the following day. This disc concludes
(Tr. 3) with a brief interview with
Ramon Vinay.
Toscanini famously
played in the string section of the
memorable first night of Otello at
La Scala in 1887. His interpretation
is therefore viewed as definitive and
this performance iconic. Phrases such
as ‘white hot’ litter critical comment;
certainly that describes the opening
(CD 1 tr. 1) and Otello’s ‘Esultate!’
that follows (tr. 2). We can but guess
if it really was like that on the opening
and subsequent nights. On the other
hand, and playing the iconoclast, is
it the notoriously hard-driving conductor
imposing his personality on Verdi’s
incomparable work? I have never worshipped
at the shrine of these singers and this
chorus. I find Herva Nelli’s Desdemona
thin-toned and lacking legato. The baritonal
Vinay is vocally too similar to his
Iago and the chorus lack Italianate
‘squilla’. I much prefer the red-blooded,
but not over-cooked, Serafin, a consummate
Verdian, also on RCA. Recorded in Rome
in 1960, the Serafin version has the
benefit of an Italian chorus, the unequalled
Iago of Gobbi and the virile tenor tones
of Vickers in the title role. However,
each to his own preference, and I do
hear why this performance appeals to
many.
As always the Guild
supporting documentation is first class
with an excellent track-related synopsis
in place of a full libretto. They also
reproduce contemporary critical comment
and there is a detailed musicological
essay by William H Youngren. Those who
know and love this performance above
others will itch to hear if Caniell’s
claims for sonic improvement are justified.
I will simply note that he has a good
record!
Robert J. Farr
Richard
Caniell advises:
The
attenuation of the sonic spectrum and
the addition of electronic echo pertains
to the LP edition not to the RCA-BMG
CD release (see page 32). The RCA-BMG
CD set does not have electronic echo,
though its sonics are compressed compared
to what we released.
NBC Symphony Orchestra. Mixed Chorus/Arturo Toscanini
