FIDELIO

Rose Bampton - Jan Peerce - Eleanor Steber - Nicola Moscona - Herbert Janssen - Sidor Belarsky - Joseph Laderoute

NBC Symphony Orchestra
Broadcasts 10 and 17 December 1944

Bonus: Leonore No. 2, 25 September 1945
Rose Bampton: Radio Interview

The Toscanini broadcast of Fidelio, though celebrated on many grounds was also deplored because broadcast scheduling required that the dialogue be omitted. Here at last is the ultimate edition with the dialogue restored, together with the original Abscheulicher (we replaced the bad note sung by Bampton which RCA Victor replaced with a later recording in its LP/CD release). Our release includes full broadcast commentary and ovations. The booklet offers texts about the singers and performance, extensive recording notes and rare photos. The bonus is a dynamic performance of the Leonore No. 2 taken from a 1944 concert that was not broadcast. The concluding bonus is an interview with Rose Bampton in which she talks about the occasion Toscanini selected her to sing Leonore.