It is ironic that one of the great conductors of opera would be comparatively unsung.

Victor de Sabata is fondly remembered by collectors largely for a single recording – a classic performance of “Tosca” with Maria Callas. The reasons for this have little to do with De Sabata’s merit. De Sabata was a creature of the theater, as opposed to the recording studio. Also, he happened to flourish at a time before the widespread adoption of stereo recording methods. His most cherished recordings were captured on the wing, which might be viewed as something of a mixed blessing. But while few of his performances were preserved under controlled circumstances, what we do have accurately reflects his volcanic temperament in all its terrible glory.

How much awe did De Sabata inspire? Apparently enough that a young Sergiu Celibidache was moved to hide overnight in the Bayreuth bathroom facilities in order to eavesdrop on his rehearsals of “Tristan und Isolde.”

For decades, De Sabata was principal conductor at La Scala. For a time, he was also its artistic director. One observer described his appearance while conducting as a cross between Julius Caesar and Satan. In 1953, a massive heart attack brought all that to an end. “Tosca” was planned to have been the first of a series of recordings for HMV which would have documented much of De Sabata’s operatic repertoire. In the event, he would return to conduct only twice more.

One of these “comebacks” was a molten performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem,” a classic 1954 recording featuring soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, mezzo-soprano Oralia Dominguez, tenor Giuseppe di Stefano, and bass Cesare Siepi. It’s a strikingly broad reading that yet manages to roil and sear.

Like that other titan of the podium, Wilhelm Furtwängler, De Sabata placed more importance on his activities as a composer than as a conductor, which might seem strange to us, given the nature of their respective legacies. There’s a good recording in modern sound of De Sabata’s symphonic poems on the Hyperion label, conducted by Aldo Ceccato. But Hyperion is pretty diligent about taking down unauthorized postings of its material from YouTube. So here’s “Juventus” (“Youth”) conducted by the composer in 1933:

Lorin Maazel conducts “La Notte di Plàton” (“The Night of Plato”)

New to me! Suite No. 2 for Orchestra

Verdi, “I Vespri Siciliani” Overture

Fragment of the Mozart Requiem

Rehearsing Brahms

“Dance of the Seven Veils”

Fly-on-the-wall “Tristan” from 1930

Sibelius!

Immortal “Tosca”

Celibidache remembers De Sabata

Happy birthday, Victor de Sabata, firebrand of the podium!