You will probably never hear a recording from 1942 that sounds as good as this. It was the year that Shostakovich's 7th "Leningrad" Symphony went around the world to tears and ovations, a symphony crafted in the darkest days of war and a symbol of the resistance of the allied forces against the Nazi onslaught.
Stokowski premièred many Shostakovich works, but in this case had been elbowed out of the way by Toscanini earlier in the year when it came to the US première. By the time he performed it in New York in December 1942 it had been heard under the batons of several top name conductors in the city. But perhaps this was the definitive performance of that time.
It's the only Stokowski recording of the "Leningrad", and this new transfer from previously unplayed acetates is incredible for its sonic fidelity: you will not believe your own ears. Quite simply, this has to be heard.