NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was one of the world's fabled orchestras. David Sarnoff, chairman of RCA which owned both RCAVictor Records and NBC radio -- offered conductor Arturo Toscanini a specially-built orchestra of the highest standards.
Offering the highest salaries of any orchestra and a 52-week contract, NBC attracted top orchestral musicians: 21 of them were former section leaders of other orchestras. Artur Rodzinski molded them into a precision ensemble and Rodzinski led its first concerts. The orchestra took the air under Toscanini on Christmas day, 1937.
It was immediately ranked as one of the world's great orchestras, famous for its precise, lean sound, even though the players had to do routine radio work in addition to symphony concerts. For 17 years it was conducted by many leading world-class conductors; Leopold Stokowski was its co-conductor from 1941 to 1944. It made numerous classic recordings for RCA, sometimes recording as the "RCA Victor Symphony," including the famous recording of Richard Rodgers' Victory at Sea.
The orchestra had many distinguished alumni: violist William Primrose; violinist Josef Gingold; cellists Naoum Benditzky (of the Gordon Quartet) and Alan Shulman (Stuyvesant Quartet); and future conductors Milton Katims and Frank Brieff, to name just a few. Soloists who recorded with the orchestra included Marian Anderson, Vladimir Horowitz, Jascha Heifetz, and Artur Rubinstein. Some of these recordings, and a few complete opera recordings, were conducted by Fritz Reiner.
Toscanini retired after his April 4, 1954, concert. NBC laid the orchestra off, but it refused to die. Most of its members (with a few new players) reassembled as the Symphony of the Air, which went on to its own distinguished, if brief, renown.
© TiVo
-
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 - Richard Wagner: Parsifal, Prelude
Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Praga Digitals on Aug 1, 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
BRAHMS: PIANO CONCERTO No. 2 (REHEARSAL) (Remaster)
Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Horowitz
Classical - Released by Nar Classical on Jan 29, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
VERDI: AIDA Ouverture & WAGNER: DER FLIEGENDE HÖLLANDER Ouverture
Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Nar Classical on Jan 15, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of Horowitz on the Piano, vol. 3
Vladimir Horowitz, Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Infinity on Dec 12, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Borodin: Symphony No. 2 in B Minor — Conducted by Carlos Kleiber (Recordedd in 1972) and Erich Kleiber [Recorded 1947]
Carlos Kleiber, Erich Kleiber, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on Jan 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor & Symphony No. 2 in D Major
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski's Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Signum-Cala on Apr 26, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams - Antheil - Butterworth
Classical - Released by Cala Records on Jan 1, 2000
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Richard Wagner: Orchestral Works (Live) [Remastered 2022]
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Classical - Released by Archipel on Dec 2, 2022
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Solo Recordings
Harold Samuel, APR Recordings, Isolde Menges, Frank Black, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by APR on Oct 15, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Masterworks: Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky & Prokofiev
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Léopold Stokowski
Classical - Released by Signum-Cala on Apr 26, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toscanini - Mendelssohn 200 Anniversary Tribute
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Jascha Heifetz, Edna Philips
Classical - Released by Guild Music on Mar 31, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
Classical - Released by Andromeda on Jul 1, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar from America, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by SOMM Recordings on Aug 21, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Orchestral Works (Live)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Classical - Released by Archipel on Apr 1, 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Selection from Concerto No. 12
Classical - Released by LRC Ltd. - Groove Merchant Records on May 21, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert, Britten & Wagner: Symphony No 8, 'Unfinished' - Sinfonia da Requiem - Rienzi, Overture
Guido Cantelli, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Infinity on Sep 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carmen Dragon & Arturo Toscanini direct the French Classical
Carmen Dragon, Arturo Toscanini, The Capitol Symphony Orchestra, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Infinity on Dec 7, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Highlights - Beethoven - Mozart - Johann Strauss II
Classical - Released by Signum-Cala on Apr 26, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 - Liszt: Three Hungarian Rhapsodies
Classical - Released by Signum-Cala on Apr 26, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bruno Walter - Nathan Milstein
New York Philharmonic, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Nathan Milstein
Classical - Released by JamadaDigital on Feb 5, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 - Pohjola's Daughter - The Swan of Tuonela - Finlandia
Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra
Symphonic Music - Released by Infinity on May 17, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo