When Arturo Toscanini fell out with NBC in 1943 and refused to conduct the orchestra which had been specially founded for him in 1937, replacement conductors were engaged. Amongst these was Leopold Stokowski, who conducted a series of broadcast concerts over the next few years, until Toscanini eventually resumed his post. These Stokowski broadcasts have gained legendary status, not least because of the rare experience of hearing him in charge of Toscanini’s own orchestra. This CD brings together an important collection of those performances taken from the original broadcasts, with some items actually introduced by Stokowski himself. Also here are works that Stokowski never recorded commercially, making a release of considerable importance to collectors of great conductors on record.

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