Evening star., 1952-10-26
TurntobIe Talk:


days continuous listening to
Beethoven'S Ninth Symphony"
proves, it's that the virtues of
this not precisely relaxing score
are certainly durable.
I have had two occasions re-
Gently to indulge in such con-
centration. One was approxi-
mately six months ago, in New
York's Carnegie Hall, where
witnessed the labors of Arturo
Toscanini. soloiSts, symphony,
chorus and technicians in put
ting the Ninth on records. The
second was a day devoted to
preparation of the present COM
mentary. during which I COM
pared the result of last springs
endeavor with other recorded
Ninths. Both occasions. I con-
feSS, were exhausting, although
the music remains fresh.
From a record collectors
standpoint, there are several
good reasons why everybody in
volved should have invited ex-
hauStion last spring. In the first
place, the Ninth is probably the
greatest symphonic work in ex-
lstence. In the second, Tosca-
mini probably conducts it better
than anybody else alive. In the
third, at least until now. there
has been no completely salts
factory recording of ito not even
the old Weingartner). Finally,
Toscanini is old, although ap-
parently inextinguishable. Last
March he turned IS.
X X X
I can testify to the energy
that went into the recording
sessions. Toscanini sweated at
least as much as any of those
in front of him. The music, as
readers of an earlier account in
this newspaper will recall,
poured forth with increasing elo-
quence for parts of two days,
totaling nine hours. Yet the
unanimous dedication never fall
tered, and at the end the con-
ductor, unlike everybody else,
seemed prepared, If necessary,
to go on with more.
Toscanini'S bent but ener-
gized figure remains etched in
my mind, on his rallied podium.
And I shall never forget his
alert visage before loudspeaker,
as he listened with mobile ex-
preston to the playbacks-a re-
creator Tin Beethoven'S behalf)
passing judgment on his recrea-
ton. The judgment sometimes
was merciless.
Much more listening followed
In the Riverdale Toscanini
home. The judgments there
were private-most of them
never will be known. Publicity
men reported one. The maestro,
they said, was almost satisfied"
Richard Mohr. the recording di-
rector, reported one I like bet
ter. Hearing the adagio, Moar
said, the white-haired old man
wept apd compared it with q
canto of Dante.
But 1t was the official verdict
that counted. Four times be-
fore, on other performances, it
had been negative. This time it
was favorable. The recording
could be released.
X X X X
People have been waiting for
years for the Toscanini Ninth.
Are their hopes realized in this
recording?
In all essentials I say un-
hesitatingly yes. The engineer
ing. except for a few minor
lapses, is excellent. The per-
formance is magnificent. It is
the most articulate and exciting
I have ever heard.
Toscanini, as usual, moves a
little faster than other con-
ductors. Some reviewers are
saying his first movement, or
the first and second, are too
fast. Certainly either is any,
thing but relaxed. But to me
the sense of urgency which Tos-
canini instills in these two
movements is a virtue, not a
fault. The music picks you up
and carries you as less ami
mated readings fail to do. The
inner agitation and unrest in
herent in this part of the SYM
phony seems properly conveyed
by this treatment. Toscanini's
sense Of motion also does Won
ders for the beautiful adagio,
one of the most ethereal things
ever put on a record.
AS for the finale, it is incom-
parable. The soloists-Eileen
Farrell, Nan Merriman, Jan
Peerce and Norman Scott-are