’Devoted adherents of Arturo Toscanini’s artistry continue to keep the legacy of this podium giant alive. Two Guild releases focus on complete broadcast concerts by the NBC symphony Orchestra: and all Mozart concert from 3 November 1946 ( plus extensive rehearsal excerpts) and an all-Beethoven Concert (26 November 1944 ) which includes soloist Rudolf Serkin Beethoven’s G major concerto; here the additional material is Serkin’s debut with Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic eight years earlier, in the same concerto and Mozart’s K595. Those earlier performances have occasional gaps in recording continuity but sound more humane than the often brittle and hard-driven Forties performances.’

’...If you collect outstanding Beethoven Fourth’s, or are a dedicated fan of Toscanini and/or Serkin, you’ll want these disks. If in addition you have your own audio restoration software, you may want to try your skill to do some cleaning up on these noisy old recordings. If the Mozart concerto particularly could be repaired and cleaned up significantly it could become a recommended version.’

Paul Shoemaker

 ’...this is a set worth acquiring, especially because of the rarity of Toscanini conducting a Mozart piano concerto, “being there” at Serkin’s American premiere, the two almost unknown arrangements of the Beethoven quartet movements, and the rehearsal track.’
 

Fox