Beethoven Symphony No. 5, 2nd mvt--Arturo Toscanini/NBC Symp

[willroseliep]

Beethoven knew how to write hooks but he was no Leroy Anderson.

[theangrypersian]

The conductor has never committed a sin, he has never told a lie. He has never broken anyone's heart, he has never killed an insect ... and he is sad ... goodness me is he sad ... oh and more thing, he was a math teacher before he became a conductor (naturally I pulled all the above outa my arse, but if you may want to agree anyway because it "feels" that way)

[aggelosf1]

Toscanini is the best of the best. Forever and ever!

[marcwitham]

Too bad l'empereur didn't have better taste in musique. Bien dommage.

[MrImaveggie]

2nd chair cello iz a chicken

[rchentres]

Thanks TheGreatPerformers!

I am going to run out and get a copy of Arturo's 5th!

[KISIMOV]

OK ......I have a question for the double bassists here... Am I crazy or I'm hearing a melodies that are similar to Domenico Dragonetti's style? 3:45 - 4:40

[cSharpIndonesia]

Hitler didn't live long enough to see this masterpiece. Schade.

[angela44ize]

Such a wealth of beauty & profound power...a genius conducting a Genius's awesome creation!! In my humble opinion, nothing matches this sym...but I do appreciate & find emotively compelling Beethoven's 3rd & 9th symphonies...all his sym are pricelessly treasured!! Bravo to the Strings & Woodwinds, they are played amazingly!!

[LOTRzagorath]

Beautiful music! So underrated in the shadow of the Allegro Con Brio, but this is every bit as beautiful as it was dramatic.

A fantastic performance!

[nicajoyful]

SCREW THIS VIDEO IM GOIN HOME!!!

[willwei98]

6:28 -- the conductor picks his nose

but Toscanini was still an extremely awesome conductor!!!

[jadampreisscore]

@willwei98 He wasn't picking his nose. Conductors use it as a subtle way to signal to their orchestra. Often, conductors use it to mean "watch me" or it can be possibly used to say "stay focused here" and it's a small signal that keeps the audience behind the conductor from noticing. It's all communication.

[joanna4659]

For me Toscanini was the greatest conductor ever.

[SusieLee09]

I feel that the rhythm needs to stay consistent and am grateful that Toscanini did, as well, and with a passion. This is one of the very best versions of this peice that I've heard...in-line with the composer's frequently sought-after precision

[ptaaffe]

why do I keep coming back to this ? Those cellos...

[SatchmoSings]

@ptaaffe The cello section leader was Frank Miller; he was terrific.

The cello he's playing was most likely, believe it or not, made in 1941!

Check out his solo playing with Toscanini and the NBC on some Richard Strauss compositions; Don Quixote and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks.

[SuperAmik]

8:03 -8:12, the majesty.

[Fozzymaple]

This was a good performance by a solid orchestra, and a good, even admired conductor, but to my ear, this performance sounded a bit dry (possibly in part due to the recording technology), but the overall effect was a bit mechanical. I think Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra did it better. The dynamics and the articulation all sounded rather mechanical.

[ivardj]

Just saw the 5th played in Melbourne by the MSO, and it got to me. I grew up with it, but as a child of the 70s I've put Classical a bit on the side, even if I used to Air-Maestro (like Air Guitar) to the fifth from about year 10. When I heard it again though, what struck me is the enormity of writing this music. Deciding the theme, the tune, the key, the changes for not one, but hundreds of instruments, making it all fit together as if it were the most natural thing... Genius makes nature....

[mtoussieh]

It's astonishing what the difference between the listeners to the first movement and the listeners to the second movement is. On the past movement I was viewer # 926,548 while on this one I'm # 100,379. I wonder whether it's because the first movement to Beethoven's 5th is so famous or whether it's that people just in general listen to one movement and don't feel like going on with the whole symphony...

[ivardj]

@mtoussieh As the presenter at the free concert in Melbourne Sidney Myer Bowl said. This piece, this symphony, starts with probably the four most famous notes in the history of classical music - so yes I think it's for the fame, rather than the faltering. Remember the 9th is most famous for the last movement. Appropriately.

[mtoussieh]

@ivardj You are absolutely right. It makes very much sense. Thanks.

By the way, thanks for that quote from that free concert in Melbourne-Sidney.

I didn't even know they give out free concerts there, but what a great idea. We should

do that in this country as well, not only in Australia. And I should definitely visit Australia!

[aenkmnp]

Toscanini blows.

[bigpoppaplump462]

@aenkmnp No. You do. Toscanini was brilliant.

[stumiller]

Beethoven made it hard for anyone to be that good afterward. He changed the way symphonies were written.  It's just genius. The 5th was the last symphony he actually heard, and not all that well. If you think about writing the 9th symphony stone deaf, tell me that isn't genius? Sure he could hear the instruments in his head and knew which notes to write down, but come on! I don't think anyone else could have done that or could do it now.

[lousantos123]

I agree...but the point isn't the fact that he wrote the 9th deaf...the point is that he wrote it, period. Even if he was a super-man with 10 senses, it would still be pure genious

[stumiller]

@lousantos123 Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Sawl]

@stumiller He also heard his 6th symphony. Beethoven wrote the 5th and 6th symphony at the same time and they were both premiered together.

[130starfish]

Mozart ? Beethoven ? Isnt it a matter of musical preferance? How can you say one is better than the other? I enjoy both and with each Youtube find I learn something new. I didn't realize that Beethovan's fifth had so much sturm and drang in its composition. It is a powerful piece, and well written and performed here. Mozart is much lighter in composition, less inclined to power and generally (in my opinion) a little more sophisticated in craftmanship.

[SatchmoSings]

Beethoven was the greatest composer, ever.

Beethoven didn't have the genius of Mozart; nothing just "rolled off" his pen the way it did for Mozart; Beethoven had to plant his butt in a chair and work out the music over-and-over-and-over.

But, ah, look at the result!

Also, Beethoven communicates philosophically; Mozart really doesn't.

[moonblossom15]

@SatchmoSings I like both, and I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but I personally enjoy Beethoven more because I enjoy the powerful emotions behind each piece... it's truly epic music.

[SatchmoSings]

@moonblossom15 Very well put!

Mostly, though, that can be said about Beethoven's "Middle Period;" the period (of which the Fifth is so much a part of); I still don't understand Beethoven's "Late Period."

Beethoven's Early Period shows his continuum from Mozart and Haydn though with more "edge" of course.

[GarisMom]

Some prefer Mozart, some prefer Beethoven, some prefer Bach, some prefer Rachmaninov… There is no right or wrong answer. It's a matter of personal taste.

Thank you to "TheGreatPerformers" for making this available!

[ssoccerbuddy18]

@Pianist927 lol it seems like somebody doesn't know their musical time periods and the styles that go along with them... xD

[purplefool08]

@Pianist927 If you knew the complexity and the theory behind Mozart's work, you might have a little more respect for him. Of course, Beethoven was also an amazing composer, but Mozart's theory was so sound that his pieces are used in University Theory textbooks. Yes there are a few of Beethoven's works as well, but not nearly as many.

I do agree that Beethoven was more emotional and his music can be so moving.

[ipmoic]

84 year old Toscanini here.

@ SatchmoSings Did not know that Miller was playing a modern cello made in 1941. I had the pleasure of knowing both Miller and his stand-mate, Benar Heifetz--although I was a very young man. What a first desk!

[polyjr]

"soul" missed ul

[sstuddert]

This is a Symphony, hence the title "Symphony No. 5". A song is usually a single movement composition, always for for vocal parts, which usually adheres to a very simple form (e.g. strophic form).

[StephaayeBoo]

@sstuddert aha Well then same thing..

[StephaayeBoo]

Were playing this song..but aha it's not as long as this though..

[sstuddert]

@StephaayeBoo and it's not a song.

[StephaayeBoo]

@sstuddert Well if it's not a song then what is it?

[javierleonenriquez]

@StephaayeBoo A piece of music. That simple.

[SatchmoSings]

@StephaayeBoo This is the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony; symphonies are traditionally (but not always) written in four "movements."

This 2nd movement is marked "Andante" (go look up the word) which is supposed to describe the overall character of this part or movement of the music.

[theonlyknowledge]

TRUELY AWFUL!

[SatchmoSings]

@theonlyknowledge Typical left-wing nihilistic shitfuck; that's what you are.

[richclayderman]

screw you all, Beethoven is a genious but he's only overcomed by Mozart

[sstuddert]

@richclayderman he isn't overcome by Mozart.

[Pa1ntballGuitarist]

i don't like this movement, except for the minor variation. i could listen to that part all day.

[analovesyounot]

@Pa1ntballGuitarist

now now. u shouldnt be 2 picky when it comes to amazing compositions like this, or eny other. :/

[ddeawotwi]

The beauty of this movement is in the sheer simplicity of the theme. It's amazing how a melody so simple can be so powerful, beautiful, so full of music... just amazing!

[06lambar]

4:19 to 4:40

[spartns12344]

3:47 - 4: 40 = my favorite part!

[ZStanley14]

I think they're all just people. It's odd that we even know their names.

[hahahahahahahNO]

This is my favorite movement.

[jdhlmsly]

Take a listen to Mozart's Symphony 41.. He was well on the way to changing things the way Beethoven eventually did. He just didn't live long enough to do it. Second movement is especially emotional. :D

Two of the greats.. I hate to hear people say that Mozart didn't have emotion. Listen to Symphony 41... If that's not full of emotion, I don't know what is....

[javierleonenriquez]

Mozart was very emotional. his music was full of humanity. If they don´t believe, they just should listen to the piano concertos(i like specially the adagio of the nº 23)

[sstuddert]

@jdhlmsly Mozart was very emotional and he was on his way to changing things but I don't believe he would have ever written something like Beethoven's late quartets.

[clevernickname70]

jesus h. christ on a popsicle stick.

you should all be on your knees bowing to Beethoven, not comparing apples to oranges or waxing poetic about the guy waving a baton. i generalize of course, but i'm so sick of people talking about the performance instead of the music. the art was created in the heart of the composer. the performance and conducting are SECONDARY now stop prattling and using your intellect and try to feel for a change.

[iguarni]

he is an italian genius!!!!!

[jepcorp]

Perfectionists always Karajan and Toscanini, but Szell is master Perfectionist of All. Toscanini's rendition is a playthrough. A good one at that. Many instruments overplayed above the melody, an interesting variation for me given this popularity of this piece. His ending of the 2nd movt was devoid of feeling.

[Cowman715]

This guy is a great conductor

[iguarni]

not only a great but the best!!!!!

[ipmoic]

For escobarXrock--the first stand cellists in the NBC Symphony were Frank Miller & Benar Heifetz--not too shabby!

[SatchmoSings]

@ipmoic Frank Miller is most likely playing a cello made in 1941; he was great!

[Olefchansa]

Beethoven was the greatest componist during the centuries! And the symphony no.5, especially the second part is awesome!!!!!!!!!

[Wonderkid7055]

I totally agree except on that first part i've always been partial to Mozart but Beethoven a very close second

[Pianist927]

There is no way Beethoven is second to Mozart. If he were anyone's second, it would definitely not be Mozart. So many of Mozart's pieces seem so frivolous and based more on tradition than on strong emotion. Mozart's musical joke may be thought of as his way of insulting the other classical composers of the time, but the piece sounds typical of him too! Mozart's compositions are good, but Beethoven's compositions are astounding. Both are geniuses of course, but I don't find Mozart as inspiring.

[Wonderkid7055]

I'm saying that when i hear Piano Concerto No. 21 opposed to Moonlight Sonata i pefer Andante to Moonlight not saying that i believe the first movement of the fifth is possibly the greatest music ever written im just saying i prefer Mozart to Beethoven but they're very close

[sstuddert]

@Wonderkid7055 Beethoven is greater than Mozart and the fifth symphony is definately not the greatest work of all time, try something from Beethoven's late period.

[javierleonenriquez]

hey, haven´t you listened to the requiem? is it a musical joke?

[epifaniopineda]

Is not joke, but it´s bored, and thats not good enought too dont you think?

[javierleonenriquez]

well, th fact that beethoven lived longer allowed him to write more matture works. But many string quartets and piano concertos from mozart are as astounding as beethoven. (or the requiem for example. It´s terrifying). in a different mood, of course. i mean If both were the same,one of them would not be an artist. the othr point is that maybe beethoven was pure fire, but mozart wasn´t that kind of artist. Beethoven was a bomb, but that doesn´t make mozart less inspiring. just diferent

[sstuddert]

@javierleonenriquez None of Mozart's String quartets are comparable to Beethoven's late ones.

[StevenShields29]

@Pianist927 There's a reason it's the "Three B's" and not "The Two B's and an M".

[deandusk]

@StevenShields29 because the m wasn't german?

[StevenShields29]

@deandusk What on earth does that have to do with it?

[spinynorman230]

@Pianist927 while I agree, it's a little pointless saying who's better, I mean, we are all in agreement that he was truely great. Both men had good and bad pieces, this one just happens to be one of the best ever written.

[Libby56]

@Pianist927 i respect your opion but theres no emotion in mozart's music? oh thats just insulting to music itself..

[vuk911]

Personally I think that Beethoven is better composer then Mozart, but you just can`t say "There is no way Beethoven is second to Mozart". Mozart is just as brilliant as Beethoven.

[Haaggus]

@vuk911 Agreed, its impossible to say Beethoven is second to Mozart. He is the greatest of all time, the heavyweight champion of music throughout human history.

[sstuddert]

@vuk911 Mozart is greater than every composer aside from Bach and Beethoven - Mozart is not just as brilliant as those two, I assure you.

[johnjacobisrael]

@Pianist927 Tchaikovsky is Beethoven's archetype. Okay so I won't go that far. But the two are equal

[thesir27]

@Pianist927 Mozart was a more skilled composer (i didn't say 'better' though), and it would have been more evident if he had lived into Beethoven's time. Unfortunately Mozart was always composing for other people as per the time period, hence the adherence to tradition. Beethoven was able to express himself freely.

[Haaggus]

@thesir27 Thats the thing though, Beethoven broke new ground completely. Mozart was a genius but he imagined music within the "classic" confines, whereas Beethoven's genius could not be constrained by the classical era. He smashed the box of classicism and unleashed the Romantic movement

[thesir27]

@Haaggus While Beethoven can be credited for turning music in a new direction, he was able to do it because Mozart had fully matured the Classical-style of music first. unfortunately for Mozart, he had to be the stepping stone to Beethoven's milestone. a symphony like this physically could not have existed in 1780's Vienna, just like how Mozart's 40th symphony could not have existed in Bach's time. thats why you can't compare composers based on how 'revolutionary' they were

[Haaggus]

@thesir27 Very true. In fact I think Beethoven benefitted from Bach almost as much as Mozart. Maybe it added to Beethoven's greatness that the other two (of the top 3) musical geniuses had already come before him. But I must reiterate my point in that Bach and Mozart brought Baroque and Classical to their maturity, but Beethoven created Romanticism. Oh but I see your point now, that Mozart had already brought Classical to its maturity and therefore Beethoven had to forge new ground

[TheHabit00]

@thesir27 Great point

[polyjr]

@thesir27 Besides creation of a new musical ground foresees the next with "Concerto Grosso". Great point of view!

[sstuddert]

@thesir27 Mozart was not as skilled as Beethoven. Mozart's counterpoint, vocal music and voice leading, for example, is all more polished than Beethoven's. But just look at the tonal architecture, structure and thematic treatment in Beethoven's symphonies, sonatas, quartets and in the Missa solemnis - Beethoven was the greater mind.

[jeunehomme9]

@Pianist927

If you can't hear the difference between Mozart's Musical Joke and his masterpieces( last 6 symphonies, piano concertos, operas, quintets), then that says a lot more about you. Emotion is inherent in the listener not the music itself and fortunately, unlike you, I don't presume to judge the worth of another composer's music simply because it doesn't appeal to me. Bach and Mozart were so skilled they combines both form and expressiveness and it's too bad some people can't hear it.

[TheHabit00]

@Pianist927 you don't know mozart! you have a lot of listening to do. but i do love beethoven.

[polyjr]

@Pianist927 Or Mozart is second to L.v. Beethoven, music is not a race or a competition, both genius, as Chopin, Schumman, Hendel, Bach, and others if some music doesn't appeal to you it's normal and very human, this is the very thing that make all art evolve, try to make a thing that please me (presuming you are a composer), and everybody, best.

[sstuddert]

@polyjr chopin? are you serious?

[polyjr]

@sstuddert Very !! Chopin wasn't a orchestral or monumental composer as Beethoven or Mozart or Brahms or Bach or Handel, but for solo Piano he was impecable and magistral and one step above all the rest.

[sstuddert]

@polyjr No, sorry, not at all. His Piano music was more virtuosic than anything Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Brahms or Handel wrote but I'm not referring to that, I'm referring to compositional merits - that is to say, Chopin's etudes might be more difficult to perform than Beethoven's sonatas, but Beethoven's sonatas have infinitely more substance. Furthermore, Liszt was a greater pianist than Chopin.

[polyjr]

@sstuddert Sorry but I desagree, I ain't talking about technical issues only, music is above all emotion. But i respect your point of view. I think music is also for dancing, studing or for play at night time when you miss your country or your beloved ones so much or like Mozart loved to do, make a joke and of course as a declaration of artistic intentions , Karajan used to say music is above all beauty...

Wagner music is more complex than anyone's but for me Chopin's are more beatiful. Peace.

[sstuddert]

@polyjr Wagner made some incredible innovations in harmony with chromaticism but his music is not more complex than all others, I don't know where you got that idea from. secondly, I'm not arguing about personal taste, obviously, I'm arguing that, in terms of intellectual ability, Beethoven, Bach and Mozart leave poor Chopin for dead.

[polyjr]

@sstuddert intellectualy speaking i just can agree with your proposition.

[sstuddert]

@polyjr you can or you can't?

[polyjr]

@sstuddert can't. 1 Hundred people in my office trying to separete me of my money while i'm writing in a foreigner language ( I'm brazilian). hehehe. "Mea culpa".

[sstuddert]

@polyjr This is incredible, to suggest that Mozart wrote more complicated music than Beethoven is one thing (it's also very wrong), but to suggest that Chopin rivals Mozart, Bach and Beethoven as a composer is utterly ridiculous - can you even read music?

[polyjr]

@sstuddert I'm a musicist myself and composer for popular music with some recorded works and I also transcribe and register (on our national library)music for other 2 major brazilian folk music ( plus than 1000 wroted, 150 music registered, 30+ recorded) composers (they are "all intuitive" musicians), worked in 5 albums as musical producer, but all of this as my personal hobby. Stop the rivalry stuff of yours; that's not a dispute...Did you like music ? How old are you ?

[polyjr]

@sstuddert "ad hoc" when you talk about music you only take consideration about the rational part of it, in that sense you are being very irrational ,how you dare to compare 10 sheets of music of a nocturno with hunreds of a full sinfonia for all instruments, in a objetive line of thinking; there are a extreme lack of nexus, you can only compare music, or any other form of art with subjetiveness; with a glance of your very so, leave the matematic for the matematicians. Chopin is great !

[sstuddert]

@polyjr the "art is subjective" argument is not valid. From a subjective view point, Someone could argue that Bob Dylan or John Cage are greater composers than Beethoven and Chopin. When I speak about the greatness of a composer, I refer to his ability to compose music. Beethoven didn't write complicated music for the sake of it, he did it to enhance the subjective quality of the music, you don'thave to like him to see that.

[sstuddert]

@polyjr For instance, Berlioz is one of my favourite composers - he is probably my favourite romantic composer (other than Beethoven, though he wasn't actually purely romantic). Now, take Wagner - I don't like his music at all. However, dispite the fact that I like Berlioz more than Wagner, I can not possibly sit here and deny that Wagner was the greater composer. One simply can not try and argue that Chopin's preludes, etudes and nocturnes are greater than Beethoven's piano sonatas - simple.

[roshidon]

@sstuddert Wow Sstuddert you talk like you are the God pianist or something. There is no "greatest composer" in terms of technicality or beauty. It's all personal opinion.

[sstuddert]

@roshidon From a technical viewpoint, there is a greatest composer. The idea that a composer's greatness can not be judged on a technical level is shared only by those who lack the mental ability to do so. If we can not judge the greatness of a composer from an objective viewpoint, are we then to say that Bob Dylan or The Beatles are, intellectualy, as great as Bach or Beethoven? of course they aren't - the same logic applies to ALL composers.

[sstuddert]

@roshidon Technicality has nothing to do with personal opinion.

[theguyi26]

@sstuddert A composer's greatness should not be defined by his technical sophistication.

A more accurate way to judge a composer's greatness would be by measure of the popularity of his pieces.

But of course, some would say that is also totally wrong. Especially avant-garde fanboys.

[Nyteknik]

@roshidon Word!

[javierleonenriquez]

Well, you neither can compare Mozart with Chopin or Schumann or Brahms. They´re romantics and Mozart is a classic. In fact, Mozart is considered the "first romantic" in some way, so he was over the composers of his time. And the fact is that Beethoven used Mozart´s late works to begin his own career working SPECIFICALLY on some pieces to turn them less classical. You can´t understand Beethoven without Mozart as you can´t understand Schoenberg without Wagner for example.

[sstuddert]

@javierleonenriquez Mozart was not the first romantic, and I don't care what charles hazlewood says. Mozart was always classical, his later works were highly intense and complex xlassical works (perhaps he may have become a romantic if he had lived into his old age), but he was always classical. Secondly, Beethoven's music was never LESS classical, it just became more romantic. even in his latest works, the music was still composed, however romanticly, with the mind of a classicist.

[javierleonenriquez]

You´re right in the sense of not-less-classical. Both of them used the classical rules in a romantic way. And Mozart used them in a classical way in a big part of his work, but there are some pieces(the last piano concerts, some symphonies, etc) with a very romantic feeling. The clearest romanticism consists of broken rules, and didn´t Beethoven and Mozart break the rules?

I mean, they were both classical. Yes. Their spirit was romantic, that´s also true.

[sstuddert]

@javierleonenriquez Mozart was not a Romantic by any means, the "Mozart was the first romantic" and "Mozart was a romantic" arguments are desperate.

[fadethetrade]

@Pianist927 Beethoven is the greatest composer/musician of all time..,not of his time,but of all time.He spent half his life composing deaf!

Though he did have plenty of great musicians to learn from. It would be akin to the virtuoso pop guitarists of today,Satriani,Vai,Malmsteem,G­ilbert,etc, idolizing, and improving from the original shredders such as Hendrix,zappa,Clapton.Beethove­n combined the classical era with romanticism and that basically set the foundations for all music thru today.

[diuscorvus]

@Pianist927 I disagree; I find much of romanticism to be vulgar and manipulative. True, many of Mozart's pieces are cheerful, but those that come from strong emotion more than hold their own against Beethoven: Symphonies 38-41, Adagio and Fugue in C moll, Fantasy in F moll & D moll & B moll, parts of the C moll mass & D moll Requiem. His contributions to opera also far, far surpass Beethoven. There's also an element of madness in the darkest of Mozart's works. Mozart was more courageous, imo.

[Xemptuous]

@Pianist927 i think that mozart was just as good as Beethoven but the problems are that Mozart never really reached an older age where his musical style would probably have changed, and in Mozart's time, there were no piano's either. His music is more energetic than Beethoven's but it's not a joke to composers of his time. He was just a kid.

[escobarXrock]

as a cellist, i can say that playing this symphony was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.

[Trulyloyale]

Legendary interpretation of 5th Simphony by NBC orchestra directed by Arturo Toscanini

[Trulyloyale]

Furtwangler's one is worse than the head masterpiecing directed by Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm's interpretation was far too scholastic while Toscanini's one is more concerned about the true spirit of the whole Simphony .

Furtwangler was a far inferior director than Toscanini, just check at his embarrassing fiasco when he tried with Otello : he clearly couldn't afford it !

[Trulyloyale]

Toscanini , probably the greatest director

of all times, a slouch ???!!! XDDDDDDD

Fozzymaple I understand some canadians are absolute ignorant of music since all they know is Avril Lavigne and they think at Toscanini vs Furtwangler as a hockey game, but you're from the US , the country who hosted Toscanini and Bernstein's homecountry, so you're not supposed to spell so ridiculous & bizarre idiocies !!

Better you get back to your banjo, which is something more suitable to your culture ....

[Wonderkid7055]

Trulyloyale he was saying that Toscanini wasn't a slouch in fact he's stating the complete oppisite

[cellofellow1223]

I have this recording!

[Fozzymaple]

Although it is by no means a complete representation of how he would have done it, the small fragments in the Bell Telephone Hour profile on Maestro Szell, are extremely fascinating. I am partial to the work of Szell, but Toscanini was by no measure a slouch.

[ggcoa]

Furtwangler is better.

[jacquesurlus]

Je ne suis pas d'accord, Furtwangler est différent et aussi essentiel que Toscanini. Je serais d'accord avec vous pour dire qu'ils sont les deux plus grands, quoique...Walter.

[chhrisax]

No way....

[giuseppemontesano82]

...the only one who's understood this symphony! ...can anyone imagine how was this performance LIVE??? ...simply the best!

[99tigressroar99]

AWESOME PERFORMANCE!!!

[yangyukun111]

very good

[ronaldo761]

OUTSTANDING Performance!!!! *Clap, Clap, Clap for the legendary Arturo Toscanini and the Orchestra* 5/5

[dani97102]

You see Toscanini's expressions, and can't help but wonder, what would the movement sound like if it were "perfect," as it was in his mind? Simply amazing.

[sonkilicustadi]

I love this part, so impressive.

[fatngrey]

Doesn't he look like Count Dooku.

[hysteriaendlessly]

Just a bit.... Poor Toscanini ^^

[chedad1]

Toscanini in my humble opinion, was better than Karajan.

[Springeragh]

Yes, by infinities.

[Joon930]

Toscanini is always greater than Karajan. Karajan is too machinistic, always focuses on the technicalities. Toscanini, though a perfectionist ten times karajan, is able to express deep emotions and display the soul of the piece. Toscanini is one of the undisputed influential conductors of all time.

[sstuddert]

@Joon930 No, sorry, you're quite wrong. Karajan understood Beethoven much better than Toscanini did.

[Olorin444]

@chedad1 I beg to differ. I think Toscanini ruined every Beethoven symphony. This version for example is horrible. My local school band performed the 5th way better than this rabble.

[sstuddert]

@Olorin444 Karajan understood Beethoven better than anyone else.

[doointhedoo]

@chedad1 I agree 100%. there is no denying Toscanini's rare gift. His photographic memory made him especially sensitive to the tiniest details that made the orchestra's performances virtually flawless.

[doointhedoo]

@chedad1 that goes without Saying. Toscanini was the greatest ever

[TommyLeungCW]

@chedad1

No doubt. Toscanini is better than Karajan.

[sstuddert]

@chedad1 you're quite wrong.

[cubantoro]

This was from a simulcast live broadcast from Carnegie Hall on the NBC Radio & Television Network. RCA Victor sound engineers recorded the broadcast on tape... for later release.

This is the reason why the audio track is more superior than to what audiences heard on their radio and TV sets.

[TriggerManEAP]

THANK you respect

[oOkasihasi]

I adore this theme, I adore when they play the tutti, I adore the sound of this orchestra.

So here's a big THANK YOU for you, for uploading this video!

[phoenixshade3]

Excellent recording, considering its age. In the high registers, the strings tend to overpower the rest of the orchestra here (for example, 4:20-4:40), but in my opinion the interpretation more than compensates any technical recording deficiencies. Five stars.

[j72050]

..in the thirties and forties, Toscanini was paid $110,000 for 3 months work, and that was a bargain. Musicians were paid $40 per week.