Artur Rodziński’s December 1938 broadcasts with the NBC Symphony capture the orchestra in its blazing early prime, recorded live from Radio City’s Studio 8H. Across two programmes he draws electrifying performances from his young ensemble, from the brilliance of Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture and a commanding Tchaikovsky Fifth, to the rarity of Starokadomsky’s Concerto for Orchestra and a vividly characterised Firebird Suite. A week later, Rodziński returns with an entirely new set of masterworks: Dvořák’s rarely heard Fourth Symphony, Hindemith’s powerful Mathis der Maler, and a razor-sharp Till Eulenspiegel.
Pristine’s new XR and Ambient Stereo restoration reveals these performances with remarkable clarity and warmth, overcoming the bone-dry acoustic of Studio 8H and restoring a sense of space, colour and immediacy to the original acetates. Together, these two broadcasts offer a thrilling snapshot of Rodziński’s artistry and the NBC Symphony’s early brilliance, preserved at a defining moment in American musical broadcasting.
Plus we celebrate Sibelius's 160th birthday with a 20% discount on all his recordings at Pristine.