However it's the other items that offer the most interest. On the whole, this Brahms Third Symphony probably is Toscanini's best. Tempos flow naturally and the finale lacks those hideous timpani additions at the outset of the recapitulation; but there's no lack of excitement and the sound is surprisingly clear and full for its provenance. The Vaughan Williams Tallis Fantasia certainly is a Toscanini rarity, and he plays it with complete conviction: it's a warm, broad reading that gets straight to the heart of the music and rises to an impressively sonorous climax.

The two Martucci items sound rather pale and uninteresting today despite all the conductor does to shape them lovingly, while Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet is typically exciting and passionate--but also typically precise. As noted above, the sound quality is perfectly acceptable for its era, and the remastering has been carried out with some care. All told, an excellent collection that Toscanini fans who don't own it already will certainly enjoy.