Arturo Toscanini (25th.March 1867-16th. January 1957) was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th. and 20th. centuries, he was renowned for brilliant intensity, his restless perfectionism, his phenomenal ear for orchestral detail and his photographic memory. He is especially regarded as an authoratitive interpreter of the works of Verdi, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner. As music director of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Symphony Orchestra he became a household name through his radio and television broadcasts and many recordings of the operatic and symphonic repertoire. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.