Happy Birthday to Auturo Toscanini born #otd 1867. Quite possibly the most important conductor of the 20th century. Premiered operas by Verdi and Puccini and conducted the premire of Respighi’s Pines of Rome in his first appearance with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in January 1926. This link https://youtu.be/TGT95J-jWrU is to a 1951 telecast of the NBC Symphony of the Respighi. Despite the kinescope quality, the sound is really good. Amazing memory (could memorize opera scores within days), very human and set standards of orchestral performance not seen or heard previously. Yes there were other great conductors, but Toscanini’s work, especially when you look at his Metropolitan Opera, La Scala Opera in Milan and the New York Philharmonic before his NBC years are extraordinary.