Toscanini's 1939 Beethoven Cycle Completed

"The Ninth symphony, given with the assisting quartet of Jarmila Novotna, Kerstin Thorborg, Jan Peerce and Nicola Moscona, was of course the capstone of the occasion, and for everyone involved a towering experience. It is extremely possible that when a performance of such music, as great as the previous one that Mr. Toscanini had given in the same hall, is repeated, its significance is more fully grasped by the listener. It may also be the case that Mr. Toscanini, who never, whatever he attains, stands still as an artist, sculptured more mightily than ever before the shape of the great tone-poem. The result appeared as a further evolution on the part of an artist whose intuition and faith bring him always nearer the very center of Beethoven’s thought. Certainly the last movement surpassed anything the conductor had previously done with the passage. For its ecstasy was cosmic. There was a scene of wild enthusiasm following this performance." - The New York Times, 1939

Toscanini's sixth and final concert of his unique NBC Beethoven Symphony Cycle was broadcast live from Carnegie Hall on 2 December 1939, and he brought the house down with towering performances of the Choral Fantasy (with Ania Dorfmann at the piano) and the Ninth 'Choral' Symphony.

This release completes the series, in new transfers XR-remastered from previously unused source discs, offers unprecedented sound quality from this historic, ground-breaking set of concerts.