Leopold Stokowski conducts Francis Poulenc’s Organ Concerto

Leopold Stokowski gave hundreds of “first performances” during his 60-year conducting career but he also conducted a great many major works just once and never again. Here is an excellent example, recorded during a concert given in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, on 29 November 1970. The work was Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Timpani and Strings, with Stokowski conducting the Members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and John Grady at the organ. As this was recorded “in the hall” by an audience member, the organ inevitably sounds more distant than on a commercial recording. However, since this was Stokowski’s only performance of the work, and he was conducting it at the age of 88 for the first and last time, it deserves a place here due to its rarity value.

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