Toscanini and Rossini

Thanks to the work of the Immortal Performances Recorded Music Society of Canada, we are now able to hear on CD, recordings remastered from original 78 rpm recordings of Toscanini conducting 4 Rossini overtures. The significance of these recordings should be apparent to those trying to understand both performance history and the traditions passed down from Rossini’s time.

Toscanini, apparently felt that Rossini was a significant composer ( the booklet notes expand on this) and recorded the overtures to Cenerentola, Barbiere, L’Italiana, and Semiramide.

Toascanini conducted large orchestras with instruments not necessarily like those for which these works were composed. The program notes do not mention which scores he had at his disposal, something that might be of interest  as critical editions weren’t an issue in that era.

But bearing in mind that Verdi surely knew what Rossini’s performances sounded like ( or should have), and that Toscanini actually played in an orchestra conducted by  Verdi  ( though  not Rossini of course ) there is something quite remarkable in this addition to our understanding of Rossini.

The famous “pulse” that the late Alberto Zedda often spoke about is there in all its glory. And although liberties are taken with tempos here and there, the energy which is at the heart at of Rossini’s overtures is there in all its glory.

This enterprise by Immortal Performances is worth the support of all Rossini lovers and to learn more about their work ( not restricted to Rossini) please visit their website : www.immortalperforances.org and consider supporting their work.