NBC Symphony Orchestra
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The NBC Symphony Orchestra was an American radio orchestra founded by NBC specifically for the conductor Arturo Toscanini .
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history
David Sarnoff, long-time General Manager of RCA , was won over to create the orchestra in 1937 , and Artur Rodziński initially incorporated the orchestra . On Christmas Day 1937, Toscanini took over the reins for the first time in a radio concert from Studio 8H, which later became notorious for its poor and extremely dry acoustics . In addition to other weekly broadcasts, television concerts were also held from 1948 onwards. In addition, most of Toscanini's recordings were made with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. But other well-known conductors of the time were also hired as guest conductors. In 1940 the orchestra toured South America and in 1950 the United States. General Motors and other companies appeared as sponsors.
Especially among the strings there were many musicians who also had solo careers, such as Daniel Guilet and Bernard Greenhouse (both also Beaux Arts Trio ), Leonard Rose , Oscar Shumsky , Josef Gingold , William Primrose and Milton Katims , but also pianist Earl Wild .
In the spring of 1954 Toscanini withdrew from musical life due to health problems (he hardly saw any more), whereupon the NBC dissolved the NBC Symphony Orchestra, much to Toscanini's regret.
Re-establishment as Symphony of the Air
Some members switched to other orchestras, but the majority founded the Symphony of the Air (translated: "radio orchestra").
A first concert took place in autumn 1954 - without a conductor. Leonard Bernstein conducted the first season . In 1955 Leopold Stokowski took over the post of musical director and headed it until 1963. During this time, many recordings were made with the well-known American conductors of the time.
After Stokowski's withdrawal, the orchestra disbanded in 1963.
Web link
- NBC Symphony in: Encyclopædia Britannica , as of 2015