Stokowski Conducts Wagner – Rare 1947–1949 NY Philharmonic Live Recordings

Description

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WAGNER Götterdämmerung Synthesis
WAGNER Parsifal – Good Friday Spell
WAGNER Siegfried – Forest Murmurs
WAGNER Das Rheingold – Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla

Recorded 1947/49
Total duration: 68:48

Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York
conducted by Leopold Stokowski

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Rare Stokowski broadcast performances of orchestral Wagner

New transfers from Jack Baumgarten’s New York Philharmonic tapes

These recordings were taken from the tape archive of Stokowski recordings collected and maintained by the conductor’s assistant, Jack Baumgarten. Although sound quality varies between the three broadcasts, and is perhaps marginally better for the Götterdämmerung Synthesis than for the other two concerts, all are in reasonably good shape for live broadcasts of this era. The final concert represented here, broadcast live from Birmingham, Alabama, would presumeably have been relayed by wire to the main CBS broadcasting centre, something which in itself would normally be expected to diminish the sound quality of the broadcast.

It is also clear that the engineer operating this outside broadcast was inclined once or twice to indulge in ‘gain riding’, possibly to avoid overloading the system and running into distortion problems. I have attempted to undo these level changes and present, as well as one can assume, something that bears a better relation to the volumes actually played.

Finally, there is evidence in the first recording of a small degree of pitch instability, or ‘wow’. Although remastering has served to make this less apparent, it may still be noticeable in one or two section of the recording.

Andrew Rose

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• Wagner: Götterdämmerung Synthesis (arr. Stokowski):
  Siegfried’s Rhine Journey – Funeral March – Brünnhilde’s Immolation (42:20)
  Carnegie Hall, New York, 3rd April 1949
• Wagner: Parsifal – Good Friday Spell (10:40)
  Carnegie Hall, New York, 6th April 1947
• Wagner: Siegfried – Forest Murmurs (8:38)
  Wagner: Das Rheingold – Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla (6:47)
  Municipal Auditorium, Birmingham, Alabama, 24th April 1949

Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York
conducted by Leopold Stokowski

Sourced from tapes in the Jack Baumgarten archive
Tape transfers and XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, August 2009
Cover artwork based on a photograph of Leopold Stokowski

Total duration: 68:48
©2009 Pristine Audio.

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