These LPs were originally released at the time when my classical record collecting began in earnest. I think I ended up getting every one of them. I was very glad to see this box come out and got it right away, knowing that it probably wouldn't be around for long. I loved the tympani in the third movement of the Sibelius so much that for years it disappointed me when other recordings didn't have the same intensity.
There are a bunch of Stokowski rehearsal videos on RU-vid. I just watched the Leonore one. What a taskmaster! He knew exactly what he wanted and got his players to breathe life into the music with passion. I can’t wait to watch the rest of them. There’s also a Portrait of Stokowski video. He was a fascinating man.
Carl I have viewed his rehearsal of the Paganini Rhapsody- sad to say I forget the pianist's name but he was great-- and the one in which he rehearsed Barber's Adagio for Strings. Both were stunning, moving and revealing . I will look for the Leonore. Thanks for mentioning it.
Delighted that you are surveying the Stokowski boxes. I bought each of them as they appeared. That most or all of them are OUP is a scandal, given that Stokowski looms large in the pantheon of "greatest conductors of the 20th Century." Even when he was perverse the results were, more often than not, lovable. The man was a recreative genious.
I've had this box for several years and it was originally released at a bargain price. Most of the selections were never recorded in stereo so it compliments the RCA and Phase 4 Stereo boxes nicely. One time or another Stokowski recorded with any label, kind of a loose cannon. These original jacket Columbia recordings are to die for!
I am in awe of some of his work when he was in his late 80's and early 90s. Most particularly there is a recording on RU-vid of a live performance of Brahms 4th, with the LSO I believe, which is one of the greatest, most thrilling and most moving performances of anything I have ever heard. And that Stokowski sound!!!! Thanks so much for this video .
I read somewhere online a story of Stokowski being interviewed on radio. He obviously did not like the way the interviewer pronounced his name, saying to him "I am not a cow!"
This is an extract from Abram Chasins' "Leopold Stokowski: A Profile": Stokowski was evidently so fed up with mispronunciations of his name that he [temporarily] changed the w to a v. He never should have changed back. He is still called Sto-COW-ski by a shocking number of people. Milton Marcus of Omaha, Nebraska, recalls that many years ago, as a young musician in New York City, he attended a panel discussion in Town Hall. The moderator introduced Stokowski with a glowing account of his many accomplishments, mispronouncing his name repeatedly. At the conclusion of her lengthy preliminary, the Maestro slowly rose and said, "Thank you, my dear young lady," and then added, "I want you all to know that there is no cow in my name. It is pronounced Sto-kov-ski." With that he sat down and did not say another word.
Years ago I was chatting to a violinist who took part in the Bizet symphony recording. Apparently it had been a long day and the 94 year old Stokowski nodded off during the last movement. The orchestra carried on at the conductor's breakneck speed to the end when he came around and congratulated them on a fine performance.
Despite my reservations about the way Stokowski tinkered (or worse!) with scores, I own a lot of his material on LP snd CD, and some of these are my favorites. I’ve already mentioned his L’Arlesienne Suites, and I agree with Dave’s high praise of his Sibelius 1, Brahms 2, and El Amor Brujo. I also love his Houston Poem of Ecstasy and his late-50s New York Francesca da Rimini (two Everest items). In every case, I’m attracted to the emotional intensity and passion of these performances. I might put in a good word for his 1945-ish version of Beethoven’s Pastoral, with the very short-lived New York City Symphony. It’s rich and sumptuous, with a languorous slo-mo Scene by the Brook. When I was a kid, my grandparents let me play their old RCA shellac copy of the album. It was my introduction to the work.
Great as usual! I believe those may be a few operas of Carlisle Floyd over your right shoulder? would love to hear your take on that unsung American composer…
@@DavesClassicalGuide No, I believe the Haydn Esterhazy series operas are directly behind and above you in the vid (I have them too); I thought the three boxes two shelves below and over looked like Susannah, Of Mice and Men and Cold Sassy Tree; in any event, I’m glad to hear that you like Floyd also…
I bought this box largely for the first disc, the Falla "El Amor Brujo" and Wagner "Tristan" excerpts with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1960 (Stokowski's first time conducting them in almost 20 years), and also to hear the Ives Fourth Symphony. According to Oliver Daniel’s Stokowski biography, Stokowski called for so many retakes of the Wagner one glum Columbia executive complained the company could have made a record of the complete opera for what Stokowski spent on this 25-minute orchestral excerpt. But you can't argue with the stunning results. Other conductors who did NOT slow down as they got older include Willem Mengelberg and Arturo Toscanini, who got faster.
One does begin to run out of adjectives when considering Stokowski. Even those who don't like him have to keep reaching. I have most of the boxes and I very much look forward to reading your comments. Has anyone ever recorded more repertory or been active for a longer period? Trying to be a Stokowski completist is an exercise in futility, but some of us try.
Speaking of conductor boxes, what is going on with Decca Van Beinum box? I hope they wont postpone it eternally like they did with the Jessye Norman box....
In some cases, I would agree. For example, I love his Houston recording of Wagner’s Magic Fire Music until the very end, when he replaced Wagner’s original closing chord with a dreadful faux-religioso string chord. Or adding hideous brass trills to the end of the New World first movement-again, a blemish on an otherwise great disc.
