Arturo Toscanini News

Some events related to the 50th anniversary of the death of maestro Arturo Toscanini:

• Last Tuesday, Rome's Opera Theater opened Italy's yearlong commemorations with a concert featuring selections from Bizet's "Carmen," Verdi's "La Traviata," Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" and Puccini's "La Boheme."

• On the Jan. 16 anniversary, Daniel Barenboim leads a performance of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony by La Scala's Philharmonic in Milan, and the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic will play pieces by Verdi and Richard Strauss in the conductor's native city of Parma.

• Lorin Maazel will lead the New York Philharmonic and the Symphonica Toscanini training orchestra of Italy on Jan. 16 in a joint concert at New York's Lincoln Center. The program includes Richard Strauss' "Don Juan" (performed by NYP), Respighi's "Pines of Rome" (performed by ST) and Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini" (combined orchestras). Soprano Renee Fleming also sings arias from "Turandot," "Adriana Lecouvrer" and "Semiramide." A gala dinner in New York is also planned, with proceeds helping to establish the Philharmonic's Arturo Toscanini associate conductor's chair.

• Barenboim leads the La Scala Philharmonic in Milan on Nov. 9 in a performance of Verdi's "Requiem."

• Some 60 pieces of art collected by Toscanini are on display to New York Philharmonic audiences at Avery Fisher Hall through March 31 and to the public by appointment on Thursday afternoons. They will travel to Italy for exhibitions in Parma and Livorno.

• Symphonica Toscanini plans more than 40 concerts over the year in the United States, South America, Japan and Israel. See http://www.symphonicatoscanini.com.