Tchaikovsky Conducted by Rodzinski and (Maybe) Ringwall

A recent post in one of the classical newsgroups led me to undertake this transfer. One of the folks there posted the 1940 Cleveland Orchestra recording of Tchaikovsky's fantasy-overture Romeo and Juliet as conducted by Artur Rodzinski, the orchestra's music director at the time.

Ringwall

This elicited a fascinating anecdote from my friend Joe Serraglio, who said that it had been claimed that Rudolph Ringwall, the orchestra's associate conductor for many years, was the actual conductor of the contemporaneous Rodzinski/Cleveland recordings of the Marche Slav and 1812 Overture.

I have a good copy of the early LP edition of the disputed 1812 Overture, coupled with that same Romeo and Juliet recording, and decided to transfer the record to see for myself . . . well, not sure what I wanted to prove, but I did want to listen to it.

Here is what Joe has to say about the claims that Ringwall was the conductor of the 1812, not Rodzinski:

"Don Rosenberg's masterful history 'The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None' mentions Ringwall's claim to have conducted the Marche slav and the 1812 Overture:

'In three days of sessions over a 12-day period, they [Rodzinski and Columbia producer Moses Smith] ... recorded ... Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet fantasy-overture and Marche slav. The label on the Marche slav disks lists Rodzinski as conductor, as does a later performance of the 1812 Overture, though associate conductor Rudolph Ringwall claimed he conducted both recordings.' (180-181).

"Later Rosenberg weighs in on who he thinks conducted the 1812 Overture: '...the musicians and recording engineers didn't get it quite right. The orchestra is alert, occasionally untidy. It is much larger than the ensembles on the 1924 and 1927 recordings and therefore juicier. But this doesn't sound like Rodzinski at the helm. Everything is competent, a bit ordinary, lacking Rodzinski's pervasive zeal. The cannon shots are haphazard and some brass bloopers as well as an exposed cough, can be heard along the battle route. Ringwall would have done himself no favor by taking credit for this recording.' (182)

"And in the CO discography at the end of the volume Rosenberg lists both the 1812 and Marche slav as conducted by 'Rodzinski (probably Ringwall).' (670)"

Now you all can listen and decide for yourself, if such is possible. To me, this could well be a Rodzinski recording, even though there are no telltale signs like pistol shots during the peroration (Rodzinski supposedly carried a gun). The Columbia ad below, for what it's worth, claims the 1812 is played with "new vividness, new impact".

The sound here is good. Michael Gray says the Romeo and Juliet recording was on December 14, 1940 in Severance Hall, and the 1812 was on April 14, 1941.

Life Magazine, May 22, 1944 (click to enlarge)