In 1944, to honor the Allied victory in Italy, legendary counductor Arturo Toscanini--a refugee from Fascisim in his home country--decided to conduct a performance of Verdi's "Hymn of the Nations". "Hymn" is a composition that Verdi orginally built around the national anthems of Britain, France, and Italy. In order to honor all four of the major Allies, Toscanini decided to add "The Star Spangled Banner" for the U.S. and "The Internationale" for the Soviet Union. The music was performed by the N

Why Toscanini was the ultimate Verdi conductor 🎶 Join Freddie De Tommaso on Classic FM as he explores the world’s greatest opera houses, and the music and performers that have appeared on their stages. Tonight, he visits Milan’s famous La Scala and the grand Venetian opera house, La Fenice. Listen on @globalplayer from 9pm. | Classic FM