Ten years ago, when famed Maestro Arturo Toscanini held a whip hand over it, the spirited, self-willed New York Philharmonic-Symphony was probably the greatest orchestra in the world. Its master horn and oboe soloists, its violin virtuosi had matched egos with dozens of great conductors, were so finely trained that only the hot lashes of the little Maestro could hold them in line. When in 1936 Maestro Toscanini stepped down from the Philharmonic's podium,* the Philharmonic's board of directors were hard put to find a new conductor sufficiently tough to take his place....
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
