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Leopold Stokowski & Philadelphia Orch. - J.S. Bach, Toccata & Fuge, 1927

2,696 views · Published 31 August 2016 · 9:12 · Indexed 26 October 2026

Channel: 240252 · 2016 · Music

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Leopold STOKOWSKI & Philadelphia Symphonie Orchester – Toccata und Fuge [D Minor] (J.S.Bach), Electrola,  Recorded in Philadelphia, USA; pressed in Germany in 1927.

NOTE:  J..S. Bach’s Toccata and Fuge in D minor is considered by a many, as the most beautiful piece of  music ever written by a man. Therefore I chose, as its illustration the photos of the gothic cathedral in Chartres, France – which is one of the most beautiful architectural structures ever erected on this Earth by man’s hands. 

     The famous orchestral transcription of this Toccata and fuge, written by Leopold  Stokowski in 1926 was  recorded by him for Victor in 1927. In preparing his arrangement Stokowski sketched his orchestration directly on an edition of the original work. He would then pass this music along to his copyist, who would write out a full score according to Stokowski's directions. The evidence lies in his copy of the original Bach work, which includes a detailed outline of his intended orchestration. Stokowski's instructions are written in French throughout the music (e.g., "bois" for "woodwinds") which suggests, his clarinetist Lucien Cailliet, with whom Stokowski spoke in French,  was responsible for copying the work. 
Leopold Anthony STOKOWSKI was born to the Polish-Irish family in 1882 in London, although on various occasions he gave his birthplace as Cracow, Poland. His Polish father Bolesław Stokowski was a cabinet maker, and mother Anne-Marie Moore was Irish. To emphasise his Polishness, Stokowski spelled his middle name in a Polish way: Antoni. He studied music in the Royal College of Music in London and earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1903 in Queen’s College in Oxford. Stokowski was appointed the organist and choir director of St. James's Church, Piccadilly, but two years later he traveled to USA, where he began work in New York City as the organist and choir director of St. Bartholomew's Church. He was very popular among the New York celebrieties who were his parishioners, including the Vanderbilt family. However, he resigned this position to pursue a career as an orchestra conductor and moved to Paris for additional study in conductin. In 1909, after his return to the US, Stokowski won the position as permanent conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Cincinnati. However, after three successful years he submitted his resignation, frustrated with the politics of the orchestra's Board of Directors. In the same year he was appointed the conductor of Philadelphia Orchestra, to which he remained faithful until 1940, when he started conducting NBC Symphony Orchestra, ex aequo with Arthuro Toscanini. In 1944 he was one of the founders of New York Symphony Orchestra as well as a year later, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony in LA.  Between 1955-61 he was a musical director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and in 1962 he founded All-American Symphony Orchestra, which he conducted for 10 years. He was very popular in the United States also because of his entrepreneur talents in promoting the contemporary music as well as his involvement into the movie industry, including Walt Disney’s productions. Through all his life he was a great promoter of the contemporary Polish music, bringing out to American audiences such outstanding Polish composers of the newer generation as Andrzej Panufnik or Bolesław Szabelski.  In 1972 Leopold Stokowski went back to London, where he died from a heart stroke in 1977. He was buried in East Finchley Catholic cemetery in Northern London.

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