Furtwangler in the 30s and 40s
Joseph Reichmann | Los Angeles | 05/12/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a 10 CD set of recordings made in the 1930s and 1940s, almost all with the Berlin Philharmonic. There are no notes and most selections were re-recorded by Furtwangler in the decade following the end of World War II. Almost all of the selections in this 10 CD set are by German composers.
Furtwangler's peformances tend to take liberties with the scores in that there are slowing down and speeding up sections that take you by surprise. However, there is always terrific tension even in the most quiet passages. The woodwind playing is very beautiful.
CD 1 contains a short symphony by Pfitzner which you can skip. Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony receives a very leisure peformance which is probably what the composer did have in mind before Bernstein and other conductors got ahold of it. It is very fine.
CD 2 contains Mozart's symphonies 39 and 40 plus Eine Kline Nachtmuskik all well performed.
CD 3 contains Schubert's 9th symphony and some music from Rosemunde. The 9th (with the Vienna Philharmonic) is as good as the re-recording that he made approximately 10 years later.
CD 4 is a collection of Wagner, all very exciting.
CD 5 contains 7 overtures by different composers. All are acceptable with one exception. That exception is the Rossini overture to La Gaza Ladra. German sauce does not work with Italian fare. Try Toscanini or Beecham for this delightful piece.
CD 6 contains early recordings of Strauss' Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel. These two villains do sound somewhat serious, rather than lighthearted. A Handel Concerto Grosso, Bach Brandenburg No. 3 and an excerpt from the conductors piano concerto do not thrill.
CD 7 and 8 present symphonies 1 and 4 plus Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Brahms. All wonderful.
CD 9 and 10 are all Beethoven. Symphonies 5 and 6 and the Leonore Overture No. 3 receive the usual great Furtwangler performances. There is also the violin concerto performed by Yehudi Menuhin and the Lucern Festival Orchestra from 1947. The pacing is on the slow side (8 minutes slower that Heifitz and Munch)but this allows the music to breathe.
The last selection on CD 10 is very special. It is the Overture to Coriolan, recorded in Berlin in 1943, right in the middle of World War II. Listen to the first minute. This is not just fierce, it is ferocious.
"
Can't go wrong
Matthew Cosby | Winnipeg, MB Canada | 03/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ten CDs of Wilhelm Furtwängler for $17.99? It seems almost too good to be true, but it isn't: this has to be one of the best deals on Amazon.
The recordings are mostly from the late 1930s and 40s. The quality of the mono sound varies from piece to piece, a few having a fair bit of tape-hiss and crackling, others quite clean. All, however, are enjoyable, and some of these (for instance, the Tchaikovsky Symphony #6 and Brahms Symphony #1) are real gems.
In all, a great way of acquiring a broad-ranging collecing of Furtwängler's work for very little money. You can't go wrong!"
Dr. D. Albaugh
David H. Albaugh | Anaheim, California | 07/13/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sirs:
The Wilhelm Furtwangler recordings are, for the most part, excellent - the exceptions being a few selections which lack treble/bass balance and the clarity generated in the rest. One could only hope that someone will renew the efforts to clarity and fidelity on the Toscannini recordings."
Track Listings (33) - Disc #1