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From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Toscanini
Message-ID: <850@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-May-84 17:45:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: eosp1.850
Posted: Thu May  3 17:45:39 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 4-May-84 05:27:09 EDT
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton, NJ
Lines: 20

References:

Toscanini WAS a ruthless, hard-driving martinet, with a terrible temper,
and the authority to hire and fire.  He once hit a musician in the eye with
a baton.  The musican did not sue.  Musicians understood and respected both
Toscanini's power and great musicianship, with the result that they
really paid attention to him, so he could often get what he wanted.

Toscanini is Italian through and through.  He astounded listeners by
bringing them the COMBINATION of his hard driving tempos, and silky, singing
lines.

It was Toscanini who popularized the fast tempo for the first 4 notes of
Beethoven's 5th.  Most conductors before him played it as "fate knocks
at the door", four slow knocks.  I think most conductors today do not play
the four notes as fast as Toscanini did.
					- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
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