Walter Meyer asks:

>Which raises a question for me.  The Philadelphia Orchestra, under
>Stokowski and under Ormandy was famous for its "Philadelphia sound".
>Did this Philadelphia sound remain when Toscanini guest conducted them?

The sound, in terms of its richness, essentially remained.  One
thing that really isn't understood is the extent to which "the sound"
is a result of the training of most of the musicians at Curtis (whose
string sound highly influenced by Stokowski and a founding group from
St Petesburg).  Muti didn't really understand this and wound up merely
resenting the orchestra's tradition and trying to stamp it out.  This was
an overreaction to the almost decadently plump sound of the aged Ormandy.
I remember a series under Temirkanov during the Muti regime when the
orchestra members were simply astounded at how, WHEN A CONDUCTOR LET
THEM PLAY, the sound came back.  Sawallisch turned the sound back to its
tradition.  It's no accident that the Philadelphia director who had the
least to do with Curtis (located 2 blocks away) was Muti.  It's really sad.

Robin Mitchell-Boyask
Temple University
Philadelphia PA 19122