| Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) was certainly one of the most
celebrated conductors of his era, and, some would say, one of the most notorious
also! His appearance in Hollywood films (with Deanna Durbin), and his
collaboration with Walt Disney (Fantasia) took full advantage of his highly
photogenic appearance, and quickly thrust the maestro into the limelight of pop
culture.
Stokowski was a legendary interpreter, and his powers are heard to excellent
advantage in the three works comprising this release. A leader in the
performance of new music, Stokowski brought intensity of line and clarity of
texture to his work- characteristics heard in abundance in this recording.
Always interested in achieving better sound, Stokowski listened to rehearsal
tapes before this concert, and requested re-positioning of the orchestra
(including putting the basses on risers). This exciting in-concert recording was
first released on the Library’s own label. For the Bridge release, the
original 1960 master tapes have undergone extensive sonic restoration and
remastering.
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