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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 เม.ย. 2022
- With the Beethoven 5th in 1931, Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra made the world's first 'long-playing' recording in what was an experimental attempt by RCA Victor to introduce 33.1/3rd LPs to the record buying public. The series was a failure, mainly due to the Great Depression. Even earlier than that, Stokowski had made the first American recording of Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony on a set of acoustic 78s in 1924.
On 8 September 1969, at the age of 87, he programmed both works in a London Philharmonic concert at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon, a large town south of London. These performances were given in preparation for a "Phase 4 Stereo" LP coupling that was made during the next two days.
For many of today's listeners, Stokowski's performances will doubtless sound old-fashioned, as the speedy 'historically informed' readings of such works still lay in the future. Even so, the TV commentator Bernard Keeffe was to describe the Beethoven 5th as "a stunning performance" and as will be seen, the Croydon audience loved it.
There is also the story told by Daniel Barenboim, who visited Otto Klemperer at his London hotel on one occasion, only to find him slumped despondently in front of the television. When Barenboim asked what was the matter, Klemperer replied that he'd just been watching Stokowski conduct the Beethoven 5th. "Was it terrible?" Barenboim asked. "No!" roared Klemperer in reply: "It was very good!"
Incidentally, note the orchestral layout, with the cellos and basses arranged along the back of the platform and the woodwinds down at the front on the right. This was typical of the seating position he often preferred in his concerts and substantially contributed to what critics called "The Stokowski Sound." - เพลง
L-L-LEOPOLD!!!
🤣🤣🤣.
Wow adam, another treasure! Thanks so much! What remarkable performances. I was blown away by the epicly performed Beethoven but it was the transcendantly played Schubert that transported me even more! I have heard these pieces so many times and yet it's like I heard them for the first time tonight.... BTW I was fortunate to attend a live performance of Beethoven's 9th at Carnegie Hall with Leo conducting his American Symphony Orchestra in the late 60's and got to meet him backstage and shake his hand :).
Glad you like the performances and it's nice that you met him too. He was one of the great maestros of the 20th century, so it's nice that he can still be seen here on TH-cam!
What treasured memory! I agree with what you say about both the Beethoven and the Schubert interpretations.
A Philadelphia treasure
Stokowski!!! WOW!
Thank you for posting this. I'm so happy I found it today.
Thanks for this - and in colour, too! Of course, it's the orchestral sound that is so special, the result of Stokie's ideosyncratic orchestral layout: basses along the back, Vienna fashion (favoured by many conductors), but cellos too, and woodwind and timpani at platform level on the right. It works for him and the sound is gorgeous - who cares if it's old-fashioned. A vintage period for the LPO too. A real treasure, thanks again!
I’ve watched this many times. Thank you for posting it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful, thank you for this!
GRANDIOS MAESTRO!
Big thanks!!!
Thank you!
I just have to say again the Schubert is unlike any other piece of classical music or any music in general ever done...😶
Mon interprétation préférée 🤩
He is 87 years old
Y su gran batida de manos un mito leopold
ストコフスキーは1969年時点はまだ健在だったということですか。
それにしても珍しい貴重な記録ですね。
A miracle. Nothing less than a miracle. Thanks for sharing.
He was still alive and still conducting in 1977 at the age of 95, shortly before his death in September that year.
Oh Leopold!
巷間言われているようにオリジナルの楽譜ではなくてかなり手を加えていると思われますね。
それでも面白いし、ストコフスキーらしさがあってユニークだと思う。
I would have trouble following his beat and gestures. Great performance. I had always dismissed him as cheap and showy but he had serious musical credentials. These live recording when he was old are a revelation. Check out his Brahms 1st with LSO.
When Stokowski was cheap and showy he was cheap and showy but when he wasn't by God he wasn't!
Stokowski was anything BUT "cheap and showy". He was a GREAT. If you want cheap and showy, check out the Bernsteins.
36:13 Schubert 8th
Klemperer liked the concert
Neither Beethoven's 5th nor (certainly) the Schubert 8th are Classical symphonies!
The on-line definition of classical music is: "Music written in the European tradition during a period lasting approximately from 1750 to 1830, when forms such as the symphony, concerto, and sonata were standardized." Since Beethoven's 5th dates from 1808 and Schubert's 8th from 1822, I would say that the TV announcer was exactly spot on in what he said!
I agree with Adam. Furthermore, the 'TV announcer' is the conductor Bernard Keeffe, former professor for conducting at Trinity College London and head of opera at the BBC, so I think he knows what he's talking about!
@@garryhumphreys3054 ... Interesting that you should mention Bernard Keeffe. He is evidently still with us at the age of 97. I wonder if he's seen this video, as a reminder of his time with the BBC. I believe he's a great Stokowski admirer and once did a radio tribute programme to the maestro. Hopefully someone will have told him of this particular upload!
Classical has become the catch all term for any serious music, from any period. It's incorrect, technically, but for the average layman, any thing with an orchestra , or performed by musicians in evening dress is classical music.
I agree - both are (equally) symphonies marking the transition from the Classical to the Romantic periods in music.
Is it me or do these people really LOOK English/British...
I think it's because they are English/British
Maestro in his full power at 87!!!