Toscanini, Arturo, << `tos` kuh NEE nee, ahr TOOR oh >> (1867-1957), was one of the most influential symphony orchestra and opera conductors of his time. When Toscanini began his career, standards of musical performance were set by conductors and musicians of the romantic school. The romantics regarded music as a means for expressing their own emotions, ideas, and performance skills. But Toscanini regarded the performer as the servant of the composer. He insisted that an analytic study of the music should form the basis of a performance. In this way, the composer’s intentions could best be understood and would dominate the performance. Toscanini’s approach became widely accepted in the 1900’s.
As a young conductor, Toscanini emphasized the music of Italian composers of his day. In later years, his performances stressed the established music of the 1700’s and 1800’s. Toscanini was especially respected as an interpreter of the works of the composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Giuseppe Verdi. He was noted for fast tempos and crisp accents. He could be temperamental on the podium and in rehearsals.
Toscanini was born on March 25, 1867, in Parma, Italy. He attended the local music conservatory, where he studied cello and piano. Toscanini began his conducting career at the age of 19, when he took over a performance of Verdi’s opera Aida with a traveling Italian opera company in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He conducted the premieres of I Pagliacci in 1892 and La Boheme in 1896. In 1898, he became artistic director of La Scala, Milan, the most important opera house in Italy.
Toscanini’s American career began in 1908 when he became a conductor of the Metropolitan Opera. He left that position in 1915. From 1921 to 1929, he again was artistic director at La Scala. Toscanini’s hatred of Italy’s Fascist government led him to return to the United States. From 1929 to 1936, he was principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1937 to 1954, Toscanini directed the National Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra, which NBC formed especially for him. He retired at the age of 87. He died on Jan. 16, 1957.
