Biography
Artur Rodziński hit Cleveland like a thunderclap in September 1933. With his electrifying performances, he turned the moribund Cleveland Orchestra into a vibrant performing ensemble. Opera was his forte and Wagner his passion. He gave fully staged performances of operas at Severance Hall for four seasons—something no other American symphony orchestra would do in the 20th Century—including the American premiere of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Over Rodziński’s decade-long tenure, he continued to improve the standards of the orchestra, to constant acclaim from the critical press.
Current album
Artur Rodzinski - The Cleveland Orchestra - The Complete Columbia Album Collection
Artists Artur RodzinskiRelease Date: 07/23/2023
Artur Rodzinski hit Cleveland like a thunderclap. The fiery, volatile Polish conductor - whose lean, SSICA propulsive style emulated that of his idol Toscanini - earned a reputation as a builder of great orchestras: he led and developed the Los Angeles Philharmonic before taking up his position at The Cleveland Orchestra, which he headed from 1933 to 1943. With his electrifying performances, he turned the struggling Cleveland Orchestra into a brilliant ensemble. Between 1939 and 1942, Rodzinski conducted a number of important recordings for Columbia Masterworks, all of them contained in this new set. Until now, most of these albums have only been released on 78s and reissued on LP. This meticulously transferred and remastered 13-disc collection of Rodzinski's Cleveland recordings fills a large gap in this still widely admired conductor's CD discography.