# Toscanini and Opera



## Notung (Jun 12, 2013)

I have been listening to Toscanini's Verdi and I am very impressed. However, a couple questions come up:

1.) Toscanini re orchestrated his Beethoven, Debussy, et al. Did he reorchestrating his opera recordings?

2.) if he did (and this is a general question that could apply to his non-opera recordings), did such re orchestration ruin the composer's vision or enhance it?


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Notung said:


> I have been listening to Toscanini's Verdi and I am very impressed. However, a couple questions come up:
> 
> 1.) Toscanini re orchestrated his Beethoven, Debussy, et al. Did he reorchestrating his opera recordings?
> 
> 2.) if he did (and this is a general question that could apply to his non-opera recordings), did such re orchestration ruin the composer's vision or enhance it?


You are presenting a false premise because Toscanini hardly ever altered a score.
As for opera he altered everything that was false and through out the bad old traditions---you know what Mahler said about tradition. These included the encore tradition which he banned completely.
He always discussed what he meant to do with both Verdi and Puccini as he did with all the composers he knew.
He was responsible for what we now see in the opera house.


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## Notung (Jun 12, 2013)

The source I read online regarding alterations may be false. Thanks for clearing that up.


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## Notung (Jun 12, 2013)

I have to say that the excerpts from his Traviata were illuminating. It's an opera I always have trouble with, but it just clicked with Toscanini at the helm.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Notung said:


> I have to say that the excerpts from his Traviata were illuminating. It's an opera I always have trouble with, but it just clicked with Toscanini at the helm.


I agree and isn't it great the way he sings along with Jan Peerce ,Peerce told me he almost stopped and let the Maestro carry on alone.
Excuse my dreadful spelling of through / threw out.


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