Mitropoulos Speaks! And conducts Leonore Overture No 3 in 1947

Skip to 07:38 if you want to go straight to the music, as there is quite a bit of interesting (to some) introductions before the piece starts.

We're back with a new recording and it’s a great one. Apologies for the gap in posting - a close family member died a couple of weeks ago. Dimitri Mitropoulos conducts the Minneapolis Symphony in Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No 3. This was a broadcast on the University of Minnesota’s KUOM radio station that was captured by Reynolds Marchant on the direct line that went to the radio station. Hence the high quality of the recording.

In this recording marked as October 23rd, 1947 but probably October 24, 1947 we hear Dimitri Mitropoulos briefly introduce the pieces to be played that night - the opening night of the 45th season. Mitropoulos mentions the Leonore Overture No 3, which is in this video, and Bartok’s Dance Suite (in this video I’ve already posted:    • Mitropoulos conducts Bartók’s Dance S...  ) and Schumann’s 2nd Symphony. I have the first and second movement of this symphony - but am looking for the other two movements before I post. Stay tuned!

There are a couple of other symphony and University luminaries who speak on the tape - some interesting orchestra, radio, and university bits in there if it is of interest.


Technical info:
Unknown Scotch
7” Reel
7 1/2 IPS
Boosted and EQ’d the introductory voices, slight EQ on the orchestral section and a tiny bit of Waves MV2 to bring up the volume of the quietest parts (so the noise of the tape isn’t louder than the music).


00:00 - Mitropoulos Introduction
00:54 - Gideon Seymour Intro
03:09 - Dr. James Morrill, UoM President
07:38 - Leonore Overture No 3