Wilhelm Furtwängler: Das Vermächtnis / The Legacy

Update May 18, 2011: I am upgrading my review of this set from four to five stars after listening to samples from all the tracks by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, and Wagner. While not all of these are the greatest performances or have the best sound available, the overall quality is impressive indeed -- a better ratio of hits to misses than I have experienced on other releases by the Membran label.For example, a comparison with the recently released boxed set Wilhelm Furtwangler: The Great EMI Recordings in cases where the performances here and on that set are identical, shows that with only a few exceptions this collection has at least as good sound as the EMI, if not better. Frequently the EMI versions show overly aggressive noise reduction that has sucked the brightness out of the high end of the original recordings.The recording of Tristan und Isolde was a pleasant surprise, beating out the EMI. And the Wagner Ring cycle performed with Italy's RAI Orchestra is pretty good -- it has significantly better dynamics than the off-brand transfer I currently own. (But note I haven't heard the Gebhart, which is supposed to be the reference edition.) However, Bach's St. Matthew Passion is just OK as it suffers from some distortion -- not quite up to another transfer I've heard. That is the most significant disappointment so far, although even there the recording is listenable.When this set arrived, the first thing I noticed is the size. It is truly enormous. I have a few of the big EMI box sets from a few years back -- like Karajan orchestral and operatic/vocal, and the Maria Callas set. I was thinking this set of 107 CDs would be just that much bigger than these 70-88 CD sets. Boy, was I wrong. If the EMI sets were the size of smallish cats, this set is about the size of a dachshund. That's a big difference.The reason for the gigantism is that this set is broken down into 11 smaller "wallet"-style boxes, which is actually kind of handy if you just want to take out works by Bach, Beethoven or Brahms, or the complete Ring cycle recorded with the RAI orchestra, for example. But having boxes within boxes makes for much bigger packaging overall. Not for the faint of heart. Actually, it does look pretty good.Membran claims that this set includes "every work that Furtwängler recorded on record or 'live' for radio." In cases where more than one recording of a work was made -- Membran cites Furtwangler's 12 recordings of Beethoven's 3rd as an example -- the company says "the most beautiful, or the best, or the most exciting interpretations were sought out for this collection". I was afraid that the "most exciting" loophole might mean that Membran would include a lot of recordings it deemed "exciting", even if marred by poor sound. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case.Membran also says that in addition to the selected full works, there are also "numerous bonus CDs and tracks presenting excerpts of alternative recordings." As far as I'm concerned, they could have left these out, but thankfully the excerpting appears to take up only a handful of CDs from the set as a whole. And generally these excerpts, rather than the full works, seem to be the tracks that have poorer sound on average.Here is a breakdown, with some notes on the sound:BOX 1 - Baroque and pre-Classical PeriodCD 1 - Bach- Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/22/1948- Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950- Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 BWV 1050 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950SOUND: Mostly good for age, but Brandenburg No. 5 (with Furtwängler on piano) is weaker.CD 2-4 - BachSt. Matthew Passion - Elisabeth Grümmer, Marga Höffgen, Anton Dermota, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Otto Edelmann, - Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Singverein, Vienna Boys' Choir 04/14-17/1954SOUND: OK for age but there are recordings available with much less distortion. This one isn't a top performer.CD 5- Händel - Concerto grosso in D major Op. 6 no. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/22/1954- Händel - Concerto grosso in D minor op. 6 no. 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/19/1949- Gluck - Alceste: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942- Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/08/1954- JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 1930- JS Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068: Air - Berlin Philharmonic 1929SOUND: All very good for age, but note the Gluck Alceste is from 1942 and the Bach excerpts from 1929-30.CD 6-7 - Gluck- Orfeo ed Euridice - Fedora Barbieri, Hilde Güden, Magda Gabory, Chorus & Orchestra of Milan Scala 04/07/1951SOUND: Not a great transfer, high end very muted by noise control mastering but the constant hiss is still fairly strong.BOX 2 - BeethovenCD 8-12 - Symphonies No. 1-9- Symphony No. 1 - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - 07/13/1950- Symphony No. 2 - Vienna Philharmonic 10/03/1948- Symphony No. 3 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/26-27/1952- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/01-03/1952- Symphony No. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947- Symphony No. 6 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/24-25/1952- Symphony No. 7 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18-19/1950- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/14/1953- Symphony No. 9 - Bayreuth Festspiel Orchestra 06/29/1951SOUND: Symphonies 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 are all the same performances featured on the "Great EMI Recordings" set. In most cases I found the sound of the Membran version to be at least as good as the EMI, although I'd give a slight edge to EMI on Symphonies 2 and 7. Symphony 1 has some record needle noise and distortion, and Symphony 5 is a live recording with middling sound. Symphony 8 has fine sound.CD 13- Egmont Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947- Coriolan Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 10/29/1951- Leonore II Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/18/1949- Große Fuge Op. 133 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1954- Cavatina from String Quartet Op. 130 (Version for String Orchestra) - Berlin Philharmonic 1940SOUND: Good all around, though a bit worse on the final track.CD 14- Piano Concerto No. 1 - Adrian Aeschbacher, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 10/27/1947- Piano Concerto No. 4 - Conrad Hansen, Berlin Philharmonic 12/03/1943SOUND: Decent, muted on the high end probably due to noise control.CD 15- Piano Concerto No. 5 - Edwin Fischer, Philharmonia Orchestra 02/19-20/1951SOUND: Better and brighter than the identical performance on the EMI set.CD 16- Violin Concerto - Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Berlin Philharmonic 05/18/1953- Romance for Violin and Orchestra Nos. 1-2 - Yehudi Menuhin, Philharmonia Orchestra 04/09/1953SOUND: Generally very good, a few incidents of noise. I like that they included the Schneiderhan performance, which of course features the Schneiderhan cadenzas.CD 17-18- Fidelio - Martha Mödl, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 10/13-17/1953SOUND: About the same as on the EMI set.CD 19- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/16/1926- Egmont verture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Symphony No. 3: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950- Symphony No. 9: I - Berlin Philharmonic 04/19/1942- Symphony No. 9: II - Vienna Philharmonic 05/30/1953SOUND: The older tracks show their age, otherwise good.CD 20- Leonore III Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 06/02/1944- Piano Concerto No. 4: III - Pietro Scarpini piano, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Rome 01/19/1952- Violin Concerto: III - Erich Röhn violin, Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944- Fidelio: Jetzt Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein - Lisa della Casa, Rudolf Schock, Vienna Philharmonic 08/03/1948- Fidelio excerpts - Kirsten Flagstad, Josef Greindl, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Vienna Philharmonic 08/05/1950SOUND: Mixed -- great on the Violin Concerto and pretty good on the 1950 Fidelio excerpts.BOX 3 - BrahmsCD 21- Symphony No. 1 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950SOUND: Good but live recordings that show their age.CD 22- Symphony No. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/07/1952- Symphony No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954SOUND: Good for age, no real issues.CD 23- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10 - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949SOUND: Symphony No. 4 is OK, shows its age a bit with slight distortion and tinny sound. Hungarian Dances sound better than the same performances on EMI.CD 24- Piano Concerto No. 2 - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 11/08/1942SOUND: Variable, 2nd and 3rd movements pretty good for age but 1st and 4th are a bit muddier. Overall good for 1942.CD 25- Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 09/1949- Concerto for Violin and Cello - Willi Boskovsky violin, Emanuel Brabec cello, Vienna Philharmonic 01/1952SOUND: Good -- same performances as on EMI set in better sound due to less aggressive noise control.CD 26- A German Requiem - Kerstin Lindberg-Torlind, Bernhard Sönnerstedt, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus 11/19/1948SOUND: Some pretty heavy needle noise, and dynamics are poor. Listenable. Love the performance.CD 27- Symphony No. 1: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 01/23/1945- Symphony No. 2: I - Vienna Philharmonic 01/28/1945- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Northwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra 10/27/1951- Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/11/1952- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 and 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930SOUND: Excerpts, quality is variable. The first three sound great for their age, the last three fair to middling.BOX 4 - BrucknerCD 28-33- Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" - Vienna Philharmonic 10/19/1951- Symphony No. 5 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Symphony No. 6 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942- Symphony No. 7 (Original Version) - Berlin Philharmonic 04/23/1951- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1949- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/07/1944SOUND: Mostly very high quality for their age, listenable and enjoyable, although Symphonies No. 7 and 9 are a bit dull and muted sounding.BOX 5 - Viennese Classical PeriodCD 34 - Haydn- Symphony No. 88 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/05/1951- Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" - Vienna Philharmonic 09/25/1950SOUND: Really quite good on both symphonies, perhaps a bit muted at the high end but not bad.CD 35 - Mozart- Symphony No. 39 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/08/1944- Symphony No. 40 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/07-08/1948 & 02/17/1949SOUND: No. 39 is the same performance as on DG's Wilhelm Furtwangler - Recordings 1942-1944, Vol. 1, and the sound is about the same -- that is, a bit compromised but OK. No. 40 is the same performance as on the EMI set, and again the Membran has just a bit brighter sound.CD 36 - Mozart- Serenade No. 10 for 13 Wind Instruments "Gran Partita" - Wind soloists of the Vienna Philharmonic 11-12/1947- Serenade No. 13 "A Little Night Music" - Vienna Philharmonic 04/01/1949SOUND: Very good once again on the Gran Partita. "A Little Night Music" shows its age just a bit more -- a little tinny and muted at the high end, but not too bad.CD 37 - Mozart- Piano Concerto KV 466 - Yvonne Lefébure piano, Berlin Philharmonic 05/15/1954- The Escape From The Seraglio: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933SOUND: Piano Concerto shows its age, a bit noisy and muddy but a nice performance. Overture sounds just like 1933, but nothing unusual -- noisy and poor technology.CD 38 - Mozart- Concerto for Two Pianos KV 365, Dagmar Bella & Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic 02/08/1949- Piano Concerto No. 22 - Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic - 01/27/1952SOUND: Both pieces a bit compromised -- record needle noise, noise control equalization. Listenable, but typical record transfers from the period.CD 39-41 - Mozart- Don Giovanni - Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Anton Dermota, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/06/1954SOUND: Live recording from 1954, and considering that the sound is pretty good with nice definition of the singers, although it is not perfect with plenty of footfalls and such. This looks to be the same recording sold by EMI in this 3-CD set, and judging by the reviews there I imagine the sound is about the same, but I can't make a direct comparison.CD 42-44 - Mozart- Die Hochzeit des Figaro - Paul Schöffler, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Erich Kunz Maikl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1953SOUND: Live recording 1953, same as this performance. Sound is OK for age, but a little distortion in some places. My biggest problem is that this is not the original Italian, but a performance in German translation. May have been common practice at the time but I don't have to like it.CD 45-47 - Mozart- The Magic Flute - Josef Greindl, Anton Dermota, Paul Schöffler, Wilma Lipp, Erich Kunz, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/01/1951SOUND: This 1951 Salzburg Magic Flute derives from a recording of a radio broadcast, so this isn't great sound -- still pretty good considering its age and the recording conditions, and a great performance. Same recording as featured on this 3-CD set.CD 48 - Schubert- Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 11-12/1951SOUND: Pretty great for their age on both recordings.CD 49- Schubert - Rosamunde (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic, 01-02/1951- Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Mozart - Don Giovanni (excerpts) - Tito Gobbi, Josef Greindl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1950- Mozart - The Magic Flute: Hm! Hm! Hm! - Walter Ludwig, Karl Schmidt-Walter, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1949SOUND: Very nice on Rosamunde, less so on the rest.BOX 6 - Romantic PeriodCD 50- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin, Berlin Philharmonic 06/25-26/1952- Mendelssohn - The Hebrides: Concert Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 09/28/1947- Schumann - Manfred Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951SOUND: Mendelssohn Concerto is the same performance as on the EMI set -- the sound here is excellent, pretty much identical to the EMI. The other tracks sound good, but not great -- a little muddy generally.CD 51 - Schumann- Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - Vienna Philharmonic, 10/20/1951- Symphony No. 4 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/14/1953SOUND: OK on No. 1, a little muddy. No. 4 sounds great for its age.CD 52 - Schumann- Piano Concerto Op. 54 - Walter Gieseking piano, Berlin Philharmonic 03/03/1942- Cello Concerto - Tibor de Machula cello, Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942SOUND: Both excellent for 1942.CD 53-54 - von Weber- Der Freischütz - Alfred Poel, Oskar Czerwenka, Elisabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/26/1954SOUND: Looks to be the same performance as featured here. Quality is good for live recording in 1954.CD 55- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/05/1954- von Weber - Euryanthe: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/04/1954- von Weber - Oberon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 02/01/1950- von Weber - Invitation To The Dance - Berlin Philharmonic 1932- Otto Nicolai - The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18/1951SOUND: All excellent for their age, even the 1932 -- although it still sounds like good 1932.CD 56- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1926- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Prelude to Act 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1935- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/07/1952- Schumann - Cello Concerto: Finale - Pierre Fournier cello, Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1929SOUND: All except the Violin Concerto excerpt are excellent for age, although many can't hide their age. The final track is mislabeled in the set as by Schumann, but it is really Mendelssohn.BOX 7 - Late RomanticCD 57 - Richard Strauss- Sinfonia domestica - Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944- Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952SOUND: Again, very good for age.CD 58 - Richard Strauss- Don Juan - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951- Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Vienna Philharmonic 03/02-03/1954- Death and Transfiguration - Vienna Philharmonic 01/1950SOUND: Very good. Till Eugenspiel and Death and Transfiguration same performances as on the EMI set with no appreciable difference in sound.CD 59- Richard Strauss - Four Songs - Peter Anders, Berlin Philharmonic 02/15/1942- Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 05/22/1950- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/24-25/1952SOUND: Four Songs are outstanding for 1942. Four Last Songs are tough listening due to record needle noise and general poor transfer. The Mahler is in excellent studio sound.CD 60 - Hindemith- Symphonic Metamorphosis on a Theme by Carl Maria von Weber - Berlin Philharmonic 09/16/1947- Concerto for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950- Symphony "Harmony Of The World" - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1953SOUND: All good, none great. No real noise issues, just recordings that show their age in somewhat thin sound. The Concerto for Orchestra is the same performance as featured on the big Audite set of RIAS recordings a few years back. The Audite sounds a tiny bit better, but the difference is not great.CD 61- Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950- Stravinsky - Le Baiser de la fee - Berlin Philharmonic 03/18/1953- Hans Pfitzner - Symphony in C major - Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1949SOUND: Sounds like noise control has muted the Stravinsky pieces a lot, but even so the fact that Furtwangler was not a towering figure among Stravinsky conductors shines through. The Pfitzner still sounds muted with noise control, but less so.CD 62- Hans Pfitzner - Palestrina (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 06/10/1949- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen: Die zwei blauen Augen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Richard Strauss - Don Juan - Venezuela Symphony Orchestra 03/21/1954- Richard Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Berlin Philharmonic 1930SOUND: A bit muted on the Pfitzner (but the work itself was a great surprise that made me want to hear the whole thing rather than just the excerpts here). The Mahler is from a live performance with clear sound -- so clear you can hear the audience just great as well. The 1954 Venezuela Strauss sound more like 1929, and the 1930 Strauss sounds its age.BOX 8 - Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Sibelius, Liszt, SmetanaCD 63 - Tchaikovsky- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/08-10/1951- Serenade For Strings Op. 48 (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/01-02/1950SOUND: Studio recordings from 1950-51, sound is very good, must be from tapes, definitely not an LP transfer.CD 64- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 - RAI Orchestra of Torino - 06/06/1952- Smetana - Die Moldau (Vltava) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951SOUND: Mediocre on the Tchaikovsky -- a record transfer with both noise and noise control. The Smetana sounds brilliant and multidimensional, I really love this except from "Ma Vlast" with the extensive quotes from the Rheingold Vorspiel.CD 65- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique" - Berlin Philharmonic 10-11/1938- Liszt - Les Préludes - Vienna Philharmonic 03/03/1954SOUND: The Tchaikovsky is good, but only for age -- record needle noise is not too bad. The Liszt sounds great -- studio recordings apparently transferred from tapes.CD 66- Sibelius - Violin Concerto - Georg Kulenkampff violin, Berlin Philharmonic - 02/07/1943- Sibelius - En Saga - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1943- Dvorák - Slavonic Dance Op. 46 no. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930SOUND: Sibelius Concerto is great for wartime recording, I doubt it could get better. En Saga is practically as good. Dvorák is pretty good for heavily noise-controlled 1930 record transfer, but don't expect a lot.BOX 9 - WagnerCD 67- Siegfried-Idyll - Vienna Philharmonic 02/16-17/1949- The Flying Dutchman: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/30-31/1949- Tannhäuser Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 12/02-03/1952- Parsifal (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1938SOUND - All pretty good for LP or 78 transfers, but with some hiss and noise. Parsifal from 1938 has weakest sound.CD 68Lohengrin (Excerpts from Act 3) - Franz Völker, Maria Müller, Margarete Klose, Josef von Manowarda - Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 07/19/1936- Lohengrin, Prelude to Act 1 - Vienna Philharmonic 03/04-05/1954SOUND - All but last track are 1936 recording with weakish sound and record needle noise. 1954 Prelude sounds great.CD 69-72 - Wagner- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Jaro Prohaska, Josef Greindl, Benno Arnold, Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 1943SOUND - 1943 live recording, noticeable needle noise, crowd noise, and generally a bit tinny sound. Doesn't seem like a bad transfer, just limited quality on the original.CD 86-89- Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/10-22/1952SOUND: Great! I was very pleased that this is basically a good quality studio recording from the old EMI release. No big sound issues here, and for my money the sound is better than on EMI's own latest release, where noise reduction has muted the tone a bit too much.CD 90-91 - Wagner - Ring excerpts - Live at Milan Scala 1950- Das Rheingold - Ferdinand Frantz, Angelo Mattiello, Joachim Sattler, Alois Pernerstorfer, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/02-11/03/1950- Die Walküre - Günther Treptow, Hilde Konentzni, Kirsten Flagstad, Ferdinand Frantz, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/09-16/1950- Siegfried - Set Svanholm, Peter Markwort, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/22/1950- Götterdämmerung - Max Lorenz, Ludwig Weber, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 04/04/1950SOUND: Good quality live recordings with some crowd noiseCD 92 - Wagner - Die Walküre Act I- Die Walküre - Leonie Rysanek, Ludwig Suthaus - Vienna Philharmonic - 09-10/1954SOUND: From the 1954 studio recording, very good soundCD 93-94 - Wagner excerpts- Tristan und Isolde: Prelude - Berlin Philharmonic - 04/27/1954- Tristan und Isolde: Mild und leise wie er lächelt - Erna Schlüter, Staatskapelle Berlin 10/03/1947- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Was duftet doch der Flieder - Rudolf Bockelmann, Vienna Philharmonic 09/05/1938- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949- Parsifal: Karfreitagszauber - Berlin Philharmonic 04/25/1951- Die Walküre: Du bist der Lenz, nach dem ich verlangte - Maria Müller, Vienna State Opera Orchestra 02/13-17/1936- Die Walküre - Rudolf Bockelmann, Covent Garden Opera Orchestra 1937- Götterdämmerung: Trauermarsch - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Götterdämmerung: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 07/23/1952- Götterdämmerung: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt - Rome Symphony Orchestra - 05/31/1952SOUND: Variable but mostly quite good. Some typical issues with sound from 1930s recordings.BOX 10 - Wagner - The Ring of the NibelungenCD 73-74 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/26/1953CD 75-77 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walküre - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/29-11/06/1953CD 78-81 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried - RAI Symphony Orchestra 11/1953CD 82-85 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung - RAI Symphony Orchestra 09/1953SOUND: Really pretty good, and better dynamics than my current edition of this performance, which is an off-brand release. I haven't heard the Gebhart edition of the RAI Ring Cycle, which is supposed to be the reference release, but this one is a fairly good transfer.BOX 11 - OtherCD 95- Arthur Honegger - Mouvement symphonique No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Fortner - Concerto for Violin and Large Chamber Orchestra - Gerhard Taschner violin, Berlin Philharmonic 12/18/1949- Boris Blacher - Concertante Music for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954SOUND: Excellent on the Honegger, only slightly weaker on the Fortner and Blacher, which are featured in the same performances and about the same quality on the Audite set mentioned above.CD 96-97 - Hector Berlioz- The Damnation Of Faust - Frans Vroons, Hans Hotter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Chorus 08/26/1950SOUND: Three strikes -- tinny, noisy and sung in German translation. But I doubt anyone is buying a Furtwängler box for the Berlioz.CD 98- Franck - Symphony in D minor - Vienna Philharmonic 1954- Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé: Suite Nr. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/21/1944SOUND: Great on the Franck and great for live wartime on the Ravel.CD 99- Cherubini - Anacreon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/11/1951- Johann Strauss II - Emperor Waltz, Pizzicato-Polka - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1950- Johann Strauss II - Die Fledermaus: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1937- Rossini - The Thieving Magpie: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1930- Rossini - The Barber of Seville: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1935SOUND: The Cherubini is OK, but not great -- the same performance sounds a bit better on the EMI set. Strauss waltzes sound great. Starting with the Fledermaus overture we're in the 1930s -- pretty good to excellent for age, but still 1930s.CD 100- Ernst Pepping - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 1943- Heinz Schubert - Hymnic Concerto for Soloists, Organ and Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 1942SOUND: Great for wartime on the Pepping and pretty good on the Heinz Schubert -- which I found to be a very interesting piece.CD 101-102- Furtwängler - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/1951- Bartok - Violin Concerto No.2 - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Philharmonia Orchestra 09/12-13/1953SOUND: The Furtwängler sounds like a decent studio recording, good but not outstanding for 1951. The Bartok has seen many releases by EMI. It sounds fine here, but the version on the latest EMI release sounds a bit better.CD 103- Furtwangler - Symphonic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 01/19/1939SOUND: Noise control has done an excellent job in both controlling the noise and sucking all brightness out of the recording. Not at all bad for 1939, but definitely noise control run amok.CD 104-105- Verdi - Othello - Ramon Vinay, Dragicia Martinis, Paul Schoffler, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1951SOUND: Not bad, but a live recording from 1951 where the microphones picked up the entire stage and some of the hall too. Typical early 1950s live opera recording in that sense. At least this one is in Italian.CD 106The Salzburg Song Recital- Hugo Wolf - Morike-Lieder, Goethe-Lieder, Italienisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Spanisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Sechs alte Weisen (excerpt), Sechs Lieder fur eine Frauenstimme (excerpt), Eichendorff-Lieder - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wilhelm Furtwangler piano 08/12/1953SOUND: Schwarzkopf is microphoned pretty well, but the piano less so. I heard just a little distortion in louder passages. Still not too many sound issues.CD 107Excerpts from rehearsals, speeches and interviewsSOUND: Mixed. Will appeal to a minority, but interesting. Apart from the musical parts of the rehearsals -- the first four of 11 tracks on the disc -- you'll need to understand German.CD-ROM- Electronic booklets: biographical and track listing. (Note: The biographical booklet is included in paper form too, but no complete track listing.)- Membran catalogs/advertisementsDVD- Kaisers Klassik-Kunde, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 2010This is a short video clip, 8:20 in length, in which a Süddeutsche Zeitung commentator explains "why Wilhelm Furtwängler was the greatest conductor of all time." It is basically a video blog entry from a German newspaper web site burned onto a DVD. Decent comments, especially on the importance for the German people of Furtwängler during the war years.

It seems counter-intuitive that the legacy of Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954) should keep growing more than half of century after his death. Even though he was one of the most revered conductors in the second quarter of the 20th Century, he disliked recordings and left few studio recordings. He has no disciple, found no school and produced no student. Much too often his name was (unjustly) linked to the Third Reich. In spite of these, Furtwängler continues to give electrifying experiences to those who hear him the first time from dimly recorded performances. He continues to exert a magnetic, mystic, even mythic pull on the countless music lovers who were born many years after his death. Not only that, many of the greatest musicians, including Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Karl Böhm, Alfred Brendel, Maria Callas etc., revered him as the best, the ideal, the unique. Why?Anyone who has the ears for historical recordings can find her/his answers in this box. T. Fischer has listed the contents and made some comparisons of this transfer with others. Here I will provide only a few additional remarks.1. This box is very well-organized. The big box houses 11 small boxes, and each small box can easily fit the usual CD shelves. This design makes the individual CDs easily accessible.2. Many of the transfers are good. For individual performances, one can often find superior transfers, like those from Gebhardt, Naxos Historical, Music & Arts, etc.. However, the transfers are often above average and in some cases superior to the ones I own.3. The selection is good, and covers all important areas of Furtwängler's legacy. In fact, the editors in Membran claimed to capture all the works of which Furtwängler made recordings.(*) Even if you already have more than half of the box, as I do, it is still worth acquiring this box, as many releases are long out of print and/or never available (in the U.S.).This will not be the end of your Furtwängler collection. Most likely it's the beginning, as some of his best is not to be found in this box (and the Furtwängler experience can be addictive!) However, at merely $1 per CD, there is really no reason not to get this box before it becomes unavailable.Strongly recommended.------------------"Well, you see what we are reduced to. We are now in a time when a S**** is considered a master. How small he was next to Furtwängler. .... To me, he [Furtwängler] was Beethoven."-- Maria Callas, after a radio performance of Beethoven's 8th symphony conducted by renowned G.S..------------------(*) Indeed, the editors states that "This box thus represents the state of knowledge in 2010. If any of our valued listeners know of recordings of pieces not included in this edition, we would be grateful for details of them." See p.43 of the notes.

大戦中に録音された”エロイカ”など珍しい音源はさすがに入っていませんが、主だった録音はほぼ網羅されている模様。ブルックナーはもちろん、ワーグナーの”指輪”の全曲まで入っているので、もうお腹一杯。一つ一つ丹念に聴いて行けば、残りの人生が終わってしまいそうです。個人的に気に入ったのは、ハイドンの”驚愕”と”Ｖ字”。一小節ごとに生気が漲る素晴らしい演奏で、ハイドンってこんなによかったんだと開眼しました。これを聴いて、他の人の録音を聴いてみたのだが、どうも機械的にちゃっちゃっと演奏しているという感じであまり感心しなかったですね。まるで「俺も家族を養わなきゃいけねえからな、ショーバイ！ショーバイ！」という指揮者の呟きが聞こえて来そうでした。それに比べて、フルトヴェングラーの演奏は本当に溌溂と、生き生きとしている。だからこそこの人は大指揮者と目されているんだとつくづく納得しました。ハイドンはレパートリーではなかったか、フルトヴェングラーはこの二つ以外あまり録音は残していないようですが、惜しいことだと思います。

What can one say about the greatest conductor of the 20th Century! The recordings are of course vintage and have some pops and other extraneous noises; but what the heck just to listen to the maestro is a thrill and indeed an experience that modern day conductors can only dream about!!! We shall never hear his like again!!!!

Ni que decir tiene que esa caja debería estar en toda colección de un melómano medianamente serio. El sello Membran asegura que en esta caja están todas las obras dirigidas por Furt de las cuales se conserva alguna grabación. La calidad de sonido va acorde a la calidad de las grabaciones originales, y por lo escuchado es similar al de otras ediciones 'oficiales', si acaso algo inferior a la de sellos como Tahra, Orfeo o Audite. Pero por 17 euros que me costó no me puedo quejar. Sólo tiene algunos fallos esta edición: si bien es una caja sólida muy grande que contiene 11 cajas en las que se dividen las grabaciones por autores la información en cada cd sólo indica las obras, nada de información de las partes de dichas obras. Para ello se tiene que mirar en un .pdf incluido en un cd-rom. Sin embargo en dicha información no aparecen las marcas de duración de cada pista, algo que podían haber evitado. Como mayor error en esta edición está en el cd5, cuya pista 12 debería ser la Obertura de la ópera Alceste de Gluck, pero en realidad contiene la Cavatina del Cuarteto op. 130 de Beethoven orquestada (la cual aparece correctamente en el cd 13). Me extraña que en todas las reviews de esta caja nadie mencionara este grave fallo. Por lo demás y por el precio al que pude conseguirla es el mayor chollo calidad/precio que he logrado nunca. Totalmente recomendable. Expongo todo el contenido de esta caja extraído del comentario del usuario "T. Fisher" en Amazon.com:CD 1 - Bach- Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/22/1948- Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950- Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 BWV 1050 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950CD 2-4 - BachSt. Matthew Passion - Elisabeth Grümmer, Marga Höffgen, Anton Dermota, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Otto Edelmann, - Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Singverein, Vienna Boys' Choir 04/14-17/1954CD 5- Händel - Concerto grosso in D major Op. 6 no. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/22/1954- Händel - Concerto grosso in D minor op. 6 no. 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/19/1949- Gluck - Alceste: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942 ******************************> En realidad contiene la Cavatina de Beethoven- Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/08/1954- JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 1930- JS Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068: Air - Berlin Philharmonic 1929CD 6-7 - Gluck- Orfeo ed Euridice - Fedora Barbieri, Hilde Güden, Magda Gabory, Chorus & Orchestra of Milan Scala 04/07/1951BOX 2 - BeethovenCD 8-12 - Symphonies No. 1-9- Symphony No. 1 - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - 07/13/1950- Symphony No. 2 - Vienna Philharmonic 10/03/1948- Symphony No. 3 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/26-27/1952- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/01-03/1952- Symphony No. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947- Symphony No. 6 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/24-25/1952- Symphony No. 7 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18-19/1950- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/14/1953- Symphony No. 9 - Bayreuth Festspiel Orchestra 06/29/1951CD 13- Egmont Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947- Coriolan Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 10/29/1951- Leonore II Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/18/1949- Große Fuge Op. 133 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1954- Cavatina from String Quartet Op. 130 (Version for String Orchestra) - Berlin Philharmonic 1940CD 14- Piano Concerto No. 1 - Adrian Aeschbacher, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 10/27/1947- Piano Concerto No. 4 - Conrad Hansen, Berlin Philharmonic 12/03/1943CD 15- Piano Concerto No. 5 - Edwin Fischer, Philharmonia Orchestra 02/19-20/1951CD 16- Violin Concerto - Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Berlin Philharmonic 05/18/1953- Romance for Violin and Orchestra Nos. 1-2 - Yehudi Menuhin, Philharmonia Orchestra 04/09/1953CD 17-18- Fidelio - Martha Mödl, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 10/13-17/1953CD 19- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/16/1926- Egmont verture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Symphony No. 3: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950- Symphony No. 9: I - Berlin Philharmonic 04/19/1942- Symphony No. 9: II - Vienna Philharmonic 05/30/1953CD 20- Leonore III Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 06/02/1944- Piano Concerto No. 4: III - Pietro Scarpini piano, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Rome 01/19/1952- Violin Concerto: III - Erich Röhn violin, Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944- Fidelio: Jetzt Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein - Lisa della Casa, Rudolf Schock, Vienna Philharmonic 08/03/1948- Fidelio excerpts - Kirsten Flagstad, Josef Greindl, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Vienna Philharmonic 08/05/1950BOX 3 - BrahmsCD 21- Symphony No. 1 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950CD 22- Symphony No. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/07/1952- Symphony No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954CD 23- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10 - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949CD 24- Piano Concerto No. 2 - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 11/08/1942CD 25- Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 09/1949- Concerto for Violin and Cello - Willi Boskovsky violin, Emanuel Brabec cello, Vienna Philharmonic 01/1952CD 26- A German Requiem - Kerstin Lindberg-Torlind, Bernhard Sönnerstedt, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus 11/19/1948CD 27- Symphony No. 1: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 01/23/1945- Symphony No. 2: I - Vienna Philharmonic 01/28/1945- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Northwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra 10/27/1951- Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/11/1952- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 and 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930BOX 4 - BrucknerCD 28-33- Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" - Vienna Philharmonic 10/19/1951- Symphony No. 5 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Symphony No. 6 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942- Symphony No. 7 (Original Version) - Berlin Philharmonic 04/23/1951- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1949- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/07/1944BOX 5 - Viennese Classical PeriodCD 34 - Haydn- Symphony No. 88 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/05/1951- Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" - Vienna Philharmonic 09/25/1950CD 35 - Mozart- Symphony No. 39 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/08/1944- Symphony No. 40 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/07-08/1948 & 02/17/1949CD 36 - Mozart- Serenade No. 10 for 13 Wind Instruments "Gran Partita" - Wind soloists of the Vienna Philharmonic 11-12/1947- Serenade No. 13 "A Little Night Music" - Vienna Philharmonic 04/01/1949CD 37 - Mozart- Piano Concerto KV 466 - Yvonne Lefébure piano, Berlin Philharmonic 05/15/1954- The Escape From The Seraglio: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933CD 38 - Mozart- Concerto for Two Pianos KV 365, Dagmar Bella & Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic 02/08/1949- Piano Concerto No. 22 - Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic - 01/27/1952CD 39-41 - Mozart- Don Giovanni - Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Anton Dermota, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/06/1954CD 42-44 - Mozart- Die Hochzeit des Figaro - Paul Schöffler, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Erich Kunz Maikl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1953CD 45-47 - Mozart- The Magic Flute - Josef Greindl, Anton Dermota, Paul Schöffler, Wilma Lipp, Erich Kunz, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/01/1951CD 48 - Schubert- Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 11-12/1951CD 49- Schubert - Rosamunde (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic, 01-02/1951- Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Mozart - Don Giovanni (excerpts) - Tito Gobbi, Josef Greindl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1950- Mozart - The Magic Flute: Hm! Hm! Hm! - Walter Ludwig, Karl Schmidt-Walter, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1949BOX 6 - Romantic PeriodCD 50- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin, Berlin Philharmonic 06/25-26/1952- Mendelssohn - The Hebrides: Concert Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 09/28/1947- Schumann - Manfred Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951CD 51 - Schumann- Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - Vienna Philharmonic, 10/20/1951- Symphony No. 4 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/14/1953CD 52 - Schumann- Piano Concerto Op. 54 - Walter Gieseking piano, Berlin Philharmonic 03/03/1942- Cello Concerto - Tibor de Machula cello, Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942CD 53-54 - von Weber- Der Freischütz - Alfred Poel, Oskar Czerwenka, Elisabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/26/1954CD 55- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/05/1954- von Weber - Euryanthe: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/04/1954- von Weber - Oberon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 02/01/1950- von Weber - Invitation To The Dance - Berlin Philharmonic 1932- Otto Nicolai - The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18/1951CD 56- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1926- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Prelude to Act 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1935- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/07/1952- Schumann - Cello Concerto: Finale - Pierre Fournier cello, Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1929BOX 7 - Late RomanticCD 57 - Richard Strauss- Sinfonia domestica - Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944- Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952CD 58 - Richard Strauss- Don Juan - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951- Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Vienna Philharmonic 03/02-03/1954- Death and Transfiguration - Vienna Philharmonic 01/1950CD 59- Richard Strauss - Four Songs - Peter Anders, Berlin Philharmonic 02/15/1942- Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 05/22/1950- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/24-25/1952CD 60 - Hindemith- Symphonic Metamorphosis on a Theme by Carl Maria von Weber - Berlin Philharmonic 09/16/1947- Concerto for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950- Symphony "Harmony Of The World" - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1953CD 61- Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950- Stravinsky - Le Baiser de la fee - Berlin Philharmonic 03/18/1953- Hans Pfitzner - Symphony in C major - Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1949CD 62- Hans Pfitzner - Palestrina (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 06/10/1949- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen: Die zwei blauen Augen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951- Richard Strauss - Don Juan - Venezuela Symphony Orchestra 03/21/1954- Richard Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Berlin Philharmonic 1930BOX 8 - Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Sibelius, Liszt, SmetanaCD 63 - Tchaikovsky- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/08-10/1951- Serenade For Strings Op. 48 (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/01-02/1950CD 64- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 - RAI Orchestra of Torino - 06/06/1952- Smetana - Die Moldau (Vltava) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951CD 65- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique" - Berlin Philharmonic 10-11/1938- Liszt - Les Préludes - Vienna Philharmonic 03/03/1954CD 66- Sibelius - Violin Concerto - Georg Kulenkampff violin, Berlin Philharmonic - 02/07/1943- Sibelius - En Saga - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1943- Dvorák - Slavonic Dance Op. 46 no. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930BOX 9 - WagnerCD 67- Siegfried-Idyll - Vienna Philharmonic 02/16-17/1949- The Flying Dutchman: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/30-31/1949- Tannhäuser Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 12/02-03/1952- Parsifal (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1938CD 68Lohengrin (Excerpts from Act 3) - Franz Völker, Maria Müller, Margarete Klose, Josef von Manowarda - Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 07/19/1936- Lohengrin, Prelude to Act 1 - Vienna Philharmonic 03/04-05/1954CD 69-72 - Wagner- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Jaro Prohaska, Josef Greindl, Benno Arnold, Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 1943CD 86-89- Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/10-22/1952CD 90-91 - Wagner - Ring excerpts - Live at Milan Scala 1950- Das Rheingold - Ferdinand Frantz, Angelo Mattiello, Joachim Sattler, Alois Pernerstorfer, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/02-11/03/1950- Die Walküre - Günther Treptow, Hilde Konentzni, Kirsten Flagstad, Ferdinand Frantz, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/09-16/1950- Siegfried - Set Svanholm, Peter Markwort, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/22/1950- Götterdämmerung - Max Lorenz, Ludwig Weber, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 04/04/1950CD 92 - Wagner - Die Walküre Act I- Die Walküre - Leonie Rysanek, Ludwig Suthaus - Vienna Philharmonic - 09-10/1954CD 93-94 - Wagner excerpts- Tristan und Isolde: Prelude - Berlin Philharmonic - 04/27/1954- Tristan und Isolde: Mild und leise wie er lächelt - Erna Schlüter, Staatskapelle Berlin 10/03/1947- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Was duftet doch der Flieder - Rudolf Bockelmann, Vienna Philharmonic 09/05/1938- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949- Parsifal: Karfreitagszauber - Berlin Philharmonic 04/25/1951- Die Walküre: Du bist der Lenz, nach dem ich verlangte - Maria Müller, Vienna State Opera Orchestra 02/13-17/1936- Die Walküre - Rudolf Bockelmann, Covent Garden Opera Orchestra 1937- Götterdämmerung: Trauermarsch - Berlin Philharmonic 1933- Götterdämmerung: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 07/23/1952- Götterdämmerung: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt - Rome Symphony Orchestra - 05/31/1952BOX 10 - Wagner - The Ring of the NibelungenCD 73-74 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/26/1953CD 75-77 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walküre - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/29-11/06/1953CD 78-81 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried - RAI Symphony Orchestra 11/1953CD 82-85 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung - RAI Symphony Orchestra 09/1953BOX 11 - OtherCD 95- Arthur Honegger - Mouvement symphonique No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952- Fortner - Concerto for Violin and Large Chamber Orchestra - Gerhard Taschner violin, Berlin Philharmonic 12/18/1949- Boris Blacher - Concertante Music for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954CD 96-97 - Hector Berlioz- The Damnation Of Faust - Frans Vroons, Hans Hotter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Chorus 08/26/1950CD 98- Franck - Symphony in D minor - Vienna Philharmonic 1954- Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé: Suite Nr. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/21/1944CD 99- Cherubini - Anacreon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/11/1951- Johann Strauss II - Emperor Waltz, Pizzicato-Polka - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1950- Johann Strauss II - Die Fledermaus: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1937- Rossini - The Thieving Magpie: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1930- Rossini - The Barber of Seville: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1935CD 100- Ernst Pepping - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 1943- Heinz Schubert - Hymnic Concerto for Soloists, Organ and Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 1942CD 101-102- Furtwängler - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/1951- Bartok - Violin Concerto No.2 - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Philharmonia Orchestra 09/12-13/1953CD 103- Furtwangler - Symphonic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 01/19/1939CD 104-105- Verdi - Othello - Ramon Vinay, Dragicia Martinis, Paul Schoffler, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1951CD 106The Salzburg Song Recital- Hugo Wolf - Morike-Lieder, Goethe-Lieder, Italienisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Spanisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Sechs alte Weisen (excerpt), Sechs Lieder fur eine Frauenstimme (excerpt), Eichendorff-Lieder - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wilhelm Furtwangler piano 08/12/1953CD 107Excerpts from rehearsals, speeches and interviewsCD-ROM- Electronic booklets: biographical and track listing. (Note: The biographical booklet is included in paper form too, but no complete track listing.)- Membran catalogs/advertisementsDVD- Kaisers Klassik-Kunde, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 2010

Naturally, as music is subjective, a matter of taste and opinion, one could argue that apart from Furtwangler; Toscanini, Reiner, Mendelberg, or Monteux were the greatest that ever lived. One can debate that point and get no where, for we each have our favourite conductor of the past. But I will state, that Furtwangler was unique. The sales of Furtwangler CD's are at a record high to people who never heard him in their life time. Even a film called Taking sides was made in 2001 about him.(read my reviews below. This is a long review). So why the interest in a conductor who died in 1954? The idea of freedom that allows the notes to dictate their own shape or tone. Not in an unfettered fashion, but with a message to impart. This musical thinking has gained followers in Abbado, Barenboim and Thielemann who condider Furtwangler their role model."Furtwangler's performance didn't so much start as emerge. The famous indecisive beat was a ploy with a purpose, and not as some professional musicians will tell you, a symptom of technical incompetence." Gramophone February 2005. For example, the Berlin Orchestra asked him to cue entries more precisely. Furtwangler declined. An entry like that was too direct for him. The formation of a tone was evidently more important to him than the imutable form of its presence. He favoured intuitive insights, where markings on the page were viewed more as guidelines than instructions. Thus, the page was there for him to bring the music alive. So his performances combined spontaneity, impulsiveness and deep inwardness. Furtwangler placed more importance on the power of improvision than on the technical perfection that was to be achieved through continual rehearsing. For this conductor worked on the inner meaning and the hidden laws of music. He appreciated the symphonic works of Beethoven,Schumann, Brahms and Bruckner. In opera, Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven, but here he was only interested in the inner human drama of the music.Furtwangler saw the symphony as a living organism. Whereas Toscanini prided himself on the truthfulness to the score. His manner was more to do with execution and technique. A rehearsal fanactic, who was obsessed with accuracy and razor-sharp precision. Barenboim states that in his youth the privileged Furtwangler was able to work with good orchestras. The under-privileged Toscanini had to drill under-par provincial orchestras. But Furtwangler's conducting style and changes in the dynamics and phrasing were not only communicated with his hands but also with his body. For his vague and twitching gestures to the orchestra were quick and intuitively understood. He not only experienced the music but passed it on to the orchestra, for he is living in the music. As Prof Kaiser states in his interview on the DVD in this box set, "that Furtwangler was like a medium".From Conducting in Practice by Elliot Galkin, Menuhin recalls " Furtwangler compared music to the flow of a river which a conductor must follow. he rejected method, and metronome vigor, but relied upon intuition and dreamed his ways through the scores. Happily intuition did not lead him astray; it was shaped by the music it was shaping. (1988:Pg 670). His performances reveal a deeply felt sense of mysticism. But Toscanini was a fiery anti-facist. Furtwangler was naively and tragically apolitical. He maintained that " Art has nothing to do with power politics and war. Art stands above these conflicts" (1988:Pg 676). Art has everything to do with life. For me, a artist should be in the forefront of warning the people of the negativity ahead. However, I like Toscanini and Furtwangler equally, both opposites in their approach to the scores, but they reach across the years and transmit to us the eternal truth of this music.This is a strong dark foot long Tourqouise cardboard box with a lid that covers the entire box. The lid has details of the music on both ends, with an explanation about the 107 CDs. They have all the record releases and live recordings that Furtwangler made for radio broadcast. Well, that is not quite true, for there are 12 recordings of the Beethoven 3rd symphony. The best, the most beautiful, or the most exciting have been chosen for this legacy box. In addition the numerous bonus CDs and tracks present excerpts taken from alternative recordings. The question is who chose them, and why? I have heard all the CDs, and for example, the Beethoven war symphonies have been left out, apart from 1st Movement of the 1942 9th symphony. The 3rd, 4th, 7th and 9th Beethoven symphonies, are the best Furtwangler made.They are blisteringly swift, with searing emotion. You can acquire some of them on DGG Box set, Vol 1. Recordings 1942-1944, with the Schubert 9th symphony, completely remastered. Hall of fame has the 1942 Beethoven 9th symphony . Instead you have those made in the late 1940's and early 1950's, and you might be satisfied with them. They are good, but those I have mentioned get to the heart of Beethoven.There are 11 dark Tourquoise boxes inside, many devoted to one composer, the others to three, or many composers. The front has the composers names and on the back the music to be played. On all sides, the colour code, say orange, for each box has a colour covering a corner, such as red, shades of green, purple,blue, brown and grey. A number in white, for example, 1, on the front, spine and back. The Sleeve is Tourquoise and has the colour code on the top and back with the number in white. Also, another big number on the front. On the back the composer and track numbers and pieces to be played. A weakness for you, there are no details of the movements in the symphonies, or arias in the operas, next to the track number. The CD's are the same colour as the boxes; colour code say orange, with a big number 1. Composer. Compact digital audio or ADD, Mono. Total time, many over 60- 70 minutes, others between 42 and 60 minutes. You cannot get lost. Booklet, not much about his early life which formed his character,(details below) and the recordings. DVD 8 mins by Dr Prof Joachum Kaiser, also CD Rom.Sound is very good; the Rome Wagner Ring cycle is better recorded than the EMI version, same with Tristan. There are problems with the 1936 excerpts from Lohengrin,some of the other early Wagner excerpts and Berlioz's damanation of Faust. However, if you collect singers of the past as I do, the hiss in some areas should not worry you. However, Brahms, Beethoven, Bruckner and so forth are well recorded. They have been taken from EMI and DGG, plus radio recording tapes. The copyright has expired so it is open to companies like this one. The sleeves are thin, but I have had no trouble with them. I have reviewed the 117 CD Membran Von Karajan 1938-1960 Box set, which is longer then the Furtwangler Legacy set, the Red Callas 64 box set, and many other large box sets. So I thought this marvellous Membran set required an in depth review, by someone who has actually heard these works and is experienced in writing about huge box sets. Don't forget the DVD's, The Art of conducting Vol 1 and 2, to see Furtwangler alive.Who was Wilhelm Furtwangler? He was born in 1886 in Berlin. His mother was a artist and his father was a well known Archaeologist. he grew up in Munich. He was bullied at school, so he was taught by the best private professors, musicians ,art historians and educationists. He was composing by seven and knew Beethoven's works off by heart at 12. He was enouraged by these private tutors to be open, tolerant, sensitive and have moral standards. They became his private credo, and his undoing in Hitler's Germany, which Toscanini could deal with because of his hard upbringing. His father had been a red shirt with Garibaldi.Furtwangler considered himself a composer first and a conductor second, so he could conduct his own works. But then his father died and it became a manner in which to support his Mother and sisters. He learnt the basic operatic repertoire under Felix Mottl (1856-1911) who had been a stage director at the premiere of the Ring at Bayreuth in 1876. He loathed routine and conducted with a sense of discovery, a habit which Furtwangler cultivated. In 1909 he came under the tutelage of Pfitzner, a fine conductor and one of Germany's best composers of the time. Then Nikisch who was a Violinist, played under Wagner, Brahms, Lizst and Rubinstein. He was the first conductor to beat in advance. "He influenced the view of a subjective but authoritative orchestral educator who was able to bring out all the musical substance from the score.and the orchestra through detailed work. I learned from Nikisch, how to work the sound out." He was Furtwanglers only role model. Then he read a book by the Austrian music theorist Henrich Schenker(1868-1935). and became friendly with the man. He helped mould and focus creative instincts that were already being put to good use. Without him, Furtwangler would have taken a different interpretative direction. In 1919 Furtwangler got his real first break as general manager of Mannheim by Bodansky, who was leaving his post to conduct the Met German Wing of that opera house. I shall place the Box numbers, then the composers, music to be played and the order they are placed in the small box. Comments from me-T, or by John Ardoin,from the book 'the Furtwangler record'.You could photocopy this list so you can find what you want immediately. BOX 1. J.S BACH:(31.10.1948) Orchestral Suite No 3.Berlin Phil. (31.8.1950). Brandenburg Concertos No 3.Vienna Phil. (31.O8. 1950). Brandenburg Concerto No 5.Vienna Phil. Furtwangler piano. Vienna Phil. (14-17.04. 1954.) St Matthew Passion. Grummer, Hoffgen, Dermota, Fischer-Dieskau, Vienna Phil. A moving account-T. HANDEL: Concerti grossi op 6, (1954)5. (1949)10. GLUCK: (1942) Alceste. (1954) Iphigenie en Aulide overtures.J.S BACH:(1930) Brandenburg Concerto No 3. (1929) Orchestral suite. GLUCK:(1951) Orfeo ed Eurdice. Barbieri, Hilde Guden, Gabory. Orchester der Scala, Milan. Rapt, overall conducting. Singers not ideal for their roles.BOX 2.BEETHOVEN: (13.07.1950) (Live) Symphony No 1.Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. (26 & 27. 11. 1952) No 3. (3.10.48).No 2. Vienna Phil.His tempo's are tempestuous and brisk and his concept is incisive and vivid. (1-3 12.1952) No 4 Vienna Phil.(27.5. 1947)(Live) No 5 Berlin Phil. (24&25. 11. 1952) No 6. Vienna Phil. Is within the classic confines, than was the case in the 1947 and 1954 version. (18 &19. O1. 1950). No 7. Vienna Phil. Is exciting in its sweep. The final builds with cyclonic rage, crushing everything in its path.(14.4. 1953) No 8.Rage and repose (29.6.51) No 9. Schwarzkopf, Hongen, Hopf, Edelmann, Bayreuth Festival and Orchestra. A classic recording. These symphonies are good, but the war symphonies are the best, especially No 9 recorded 1942 with Anders.WOW! (1947) Egmont overture Berlin phil.(1951)Coriolan Vienna Phil.(1949) Leonore 2 Berlin Phil. (1954) Grosse Fuge op 133.Vienna Phil. Rarely has the excitement of harmonic conflict sounded as physical as it does now. (1940) From the string Quartet in B flat minor op 130.(1947) Piano Concerto No 1 Adrian Aeschbacher, piano.orchestre du festival Lucerne. Furtwangler attuned to the work unlike the soloists. (1943) Piano concerto No 4 Conrad Hansen Berlin Phil. (1951)Piano concerto No 5. Piano - Edwin Fischer, Philharmonia orchestra. One of the few studio recordings that ring with conviction and inspiration of a live performance. (1953).Violin Concerto. Wolfgang Schneiderhan Violin. Berlin Phil. (1953)Romance for Violin No 1 and 2.Yehudi Menuhin Violin.Caressing sense of song. Philharmonia orch. (1953)Fidelio. Modl,the blaze of Modl, better then Flagstad.-T Windgassen, Frick, Edelmann, Poell, Jurinac, Schock, Vienna Phil.Sound good. (1926)Symphony 5. Allegro con brio. Berlin Phil.(1933). Berlin Phil. Egmont overture. (1950)Symphony No 3.Finale.(1942) Symphony No 9.Berlin Phil.Marvellous-T. (1953) Symphony No 9 2nd Movement. Vienna Phil. (1944) Leonore 3. Vienna Phil.Suspense and driven. (1952) Piano Concerto No 4. Pietro Scarpini-piano. Orchestra Sinfonia di Rome della RAI. (1944). Violin Concerto 3rd movement.Berlin Phil The last piece recorded in this concert hall before it was destroyed in the bombing. Rohn the violinist is at the peak of his form, so is the orch.-T (1948) Fidelio. Jetzt Schatzchen. Lisa della Casa. Schock. Vienna Phil. (1950)Fidelio. Flagstad. Greindl, Schwarzkopf, Dermota, Vienna Phil.BOX 3: BRAHMS. (1952) Symphony No 1.(1950). Nearly impressive as the 1945 version. Variations on a theme by Haydn. Berlin Phil. Symphonies no 2(1952)Gripping. & 3 (1954).Berlin Phil.Better then 1949 version.(1950)Live No 4.3rd and 4th movement lively. Vienna Phil.(1949) Hungarian Dance No 1, No 3, No 10. Vienna Phil. (1942)Piano Concerto No 2.Edwin Fischer piano. Berlin Phil.(1949). Violin Concerto in D major op 77. Yehudi Menuhin Violin. Lucerne Festival Orch. (1952) Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orch. Boskovsky Violin, Brabec, cello. Vienna Phil. (1948)German Requiem. Lindberg-Torlind, soprano. Sonnerstedt baritone. Stockholm Philharmonic Orch.One of my favourite Brahms requiems. Furtwangler captures the spirituality. A bit of hiss. (1945)Symphony No 1. Adagio. Berlin Phil. Furtwangler at his best, sums up his philsophy on conducting.(1945) Vienna Phil. No 2 Allegro non troppo.(1951)Variations on a theme by Haydn. Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks. (1952) Live Violin Concerto 3rd movement. De Vito Violin. Orch Sinfonica di Torino della RAI. Good conducting, playing lacks character. (1930) Hungararian Dance No 1 and 10. Berlin Phil.BOX 4:BRUCKNER: (1951)Symphony No4 "Romantic". Vienna Phil. (1951) Symphony No 5. Vienna Phil. (1943) Symphony No 6 excerpts. Berlin Phil. (1942) Symphony No 5 Ist Adagio. Allegro. The best of Furtwangler's 5ths, simply overwhelming. (1951)Symphony No 7. Berlin Phil. (1949)Symphony No 8. Berlin Phil.Riviting performance. (1944)Symphony No 9. Berlin Phil. Heartwrenching. Disquieting intensity. One of furtwangler's great performances.BOX 5: HAYDN: (1951)Symphony No 88. Berlin Phil.(1950) Symphony No 94 "Surprise" Vienna Phil. MOZART: (1944)Symphony No 39.(O7 & 08 12 1948 and 17.02 1949). Symphony No 40. Vienna Phil. Serenade No 10 for 13 Wind Instruments " gran Parita" (1947). (1949) Serenade No 13 " Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Vienna Phil.(1954) Piano Concerto KV 466. Yvonne Lefebure Piano. Berlin Phil.(1933). Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail overture. Berlin Phil. (1949)Concerto for two Pianos Kv 365. Bella and Paul Badura Skoda-Piano. Vienna Phil. (1952) Piano Concerto No 22. Paul Badura-Skoda piano. Vienna Phil.(1954) Don Giovanni.Siepi, Schwarzkopf,Dermota, Edelmann,Berry, Grummer,Erna berger, Vienna Phil.(1953) The Marriage of Figaro .Schoffler, Schwarzkopf, Kunz, Seefried,Guden, Klein, Vienna Phil.Schoffler's voice is past his best.Furtwangler's conducting is swift and light.(1951) The Magic Flute. Greindl. Dermota. Schoffler. Lipp. Seefried. Goltz. Kunz. Vienna Phil. SCHUBERT: (1952) Symphony No 8. Berlin Phil. (1951) Symphony No 9. Berlin Phil. the 9th 1944 version is better, very swift. furtwangler at his best. This 1951 version is too slow. Rosamunde excerpts. Vienna Phil. (2.2.1950. 31.01.1951) MOZART: (1933) Le Nozze di Figaro overture. (1950)Don Giovanni excerpts. Gobbi, Greindl, Kunz, Seefried, Kunz, Poell. Vienna Phil. (1949)The Magic Flute. Ludwig, Schmidt- Walter, Grab-Prandl, Hongen. Vienna Phil.BOX 6: MENDELSSOHN: (1952)Violin Concerto. Yehudi Menuhin Violin. Berlin Phil.(1951) The Hebrides Concert Overture. Vienna Phil.(1947) A Midsummer night's dream overture. Berlin phil. SCHUMANN:(1951) Manfred overture.Berlin Phil. (1951)Symphony No 1 "Spring". Brilliant!(1953) Symphony No 4.Berlin Phil.Like a live recording, even better than the first sym. (1942)Piano Concerto- Walter Gieseking-piano.Berlin Phil. Very quick tempi.-T (1942) Cello Concerto. Tibor de Machula-Cello.Berlin Phil. A favourite of mine- stunning.-T WEBER: (1954)Der Freischutz.Grummer,Streich, Bohme,Hopf,Edelmann.Vienna Phil.(1954) Der Freischutz overture. Vienna Phil. (1954)Euryanthe overture.(1950) Oberon overture. Vienna Phil.(1932) Invitation to the dance. Berlin Phil. NICOLAI: (1951)The merry wives of Windsor. Vienna Phil.(1926)WEBER: The Freischutz overture. Berlin Phil. (1935)Der Freischutz Prelude Act 3.Berlin Phil.MENDELSSOHN: (1952)Violin concerto. 3rd Movements. De Vito Violin. Orch Sinfonica di torino della RAI. SCHUMANN:(1943) Cello concerto. Fournier Cello. Berlin Phil.(1929) A Midsummer Night's dream overture. Berlin Phil.BOX 7: RICHARD STRAUSS: 1944. Sinfonia domestica. Berlin Phil(1952) Metamorphosen. Berlin Phil.(1951) Don Juan. Vienna Phil. (1954) Till Eulenspiegel's merry Pranks.(1950) Tod und Verklarung. Vienna Phil. (1942) Four songs. Berlin Phil. Well sung by Peter Anders. (1950) Four last songs. Philharmonia.Flagstad.A lot of Hiss.(1952) MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Fischer-Dieskau. Philharmonia Orchestra. HINDEMITH: (1947) Symphonic Metamorphosis on theme by Carl Maria von Weber.Berlin Phil.(1950) Concerto for Orchestra. Berlin Phil.(1953) Symphony "Harmony of the World". Vienna Phil.STRAVINSKY: (1950) Symphony in Three Movements. Vienna Phil.(1953) Le Baiser de la fee. Berliner Phil. PFITZNER:(1949) Symphony in C Major. Vienna Phil. PFITZNER: (1949) Palestrina.Berlin Phil. MAHLER:(1951) Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Die zwei blauen Augen. Fischer-Dieskau. Vienna Phil. RICHARD STRAUSS:(1954) Don Juan. Venezuela Sym Orch. (1930)Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche. Berlin Phil.BOX 8: TCHAIKOVSKY: (1951) Symphony No 4. Vienna Phil.(1950) Serenade for strings.(1952) Symphony No 5. orchestra della Rai di Torino. 4th and 5th symphonies so, so. SMETANA: (1951) Die Moldau. Vienna Phil. (1938) Symphony No 6 "Pathetique". Berlin Phil. One of the glories of his recorded legacy. LISZT: (1954). Les Prelude. Vienna Phil. SIBELIUS: (1943) Violin Concerto.Georg Kulenkampff Violin. Berlin Phil. Furtwangler brings clarity that allows the sound of yearning and beauty to come forth.One of the finest recordings of this concerto.-T (1943)En Saga. Berlin Phil. One of Furtwangler's finest recordings.(1930) DVORAK Slavonic Dance no 3. Berlin Phil.BOX 9: WAGNER: ( 1936) Lohengrin. Volker, Muller, Klose, Bayreuth festival Chorus and Orch. Hiss. Should not worry those who like singers of yore. Lohengrin.(1954) Prelude to Act 1.(1949) Siegfried Idyll. Vienna Phil. (1949)The flying Dutchman overture. Vienna Phil.(1952)Tannhauser overture. Vienna Phil.(1938) Parsival excerpts.Berlin Phil.(1943)The Mastersingers of Nuremberg. Jaro Prohaska, Greindl,Max Lorenz, Zimmermann, Maria Muller, Bayreuth Festival chorus and orchestra. A lively performance. Wagner told Mottl that the prelude was always taken too slowly. It should be in vigorous march time. Furtwangler comes near to this ideal. This was the last opera sung at Bayreuth before it closed during the second world war. SS soldiers are in the chorus and soldiers on leave are in the audience. Many people refused to hear this opera because of the Nazi connection. Times have changed. This sound is marvellous for this era and the singers are in top form.WAGNER:(1952) Tristan und Isolde. Suthaus, Flagstad, Thebom,Greindl, Fischer-Dieskau, Schock. Philharmonia orchestra.The only recording Furtwangler was satisfied with. Considered a classic. I have played my EMI CD copy and find this recording better. (1950) Das Rheingold. Scene 1 excerpts.Scene 4 excerpts. Franz,Treptow. Sattler,Pernerstorfer, Hongen, Gabory. Die Walkure. Act 1 excerpts. Act 2 excerpts. Trepow, Konentzni, Flagstad, Franz.Act 3, same with Flagstad. Act 1 and 2 excerpts. Set Svanholm, Markwort, Flagstad. Gotterdammerung. Prologue and Act 3. Max Lorenz, Weber, Flagstad. Orchestra La Scala, Milan.I own the ADD 24 new remastering by Gebhardt, which I have had for years. It sounds the same as this recording. (1954)Die Walkure.Act 1. Rysanek, Suthaus, Frick, Vienna Phil. Modl is the Brunnhilde. Can be picked up cheaply at the Brit Amazon. (1954)Tristan und Isolde. Berlin Phil. Mild und leise wie er lacht.(1947) Erna Schluter, Staatskapelle Berlin. (1938) Mastersingers of Nurnberg.Was duffet doch der Flieder. Bockelmann, Vienna Phil.(1949) Also excerpts.(1951) Parsival.(1936) Die Walkure. Maria Muller, Orch der Vienna Staatsoper. (1936) Walkure excerpts. Boekelmann. Orchestra of Covent Garden. (1933) Gotterdammerung. Tauermarsch. (1952)Starke Scheite. Flagstad. Philharmonia Orch. (1952) Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt. orchestre Sinoniche di Roma.BOX 10: WAGNER : (1953). The Rome Ring Orchestra Sinfonia della Radio Italiana.Suthaus, Poell,Greindl, Modl, Jurinac, Klose, Rossl-majan, Petnerstorfer, Windgassen, Frick, Franz, Konetzni, Cavetti, Grummer, Siewart, Neidlinger, Patzak. I prefer this Rome Ring to the La Scala 1950 Ring. I like Modl and Furtwangler's conducting of the piece, although he is very swift in the La Scala Ring. The sound here is better than the two Rome EMI Ring operas I own.Remember always it is a matter of taste.BOX 11: HONEGGER:(1952) Mouvement symphonique No 3.(1949) FORTNER: Concerto for Violin and large chamber orchestra.Taschner violin. Berlin Phil. BLACHER: Concertante Music for orchester op 10.(1950) BERLIOZ: The damnation of Faust-in German. A few drawbacks but there are extrordinary stretches. Hotter, Schwarzkopf, Orchestra de festival de Lucerne.FRANCK: Symphony in D minor. RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloe suite no 2. CHERUBINI:(1951) Anacreon overture.Vienna Phil. JOHAN STRAUSS:(1950) Emperor Waltz.(1950) Pizzicato Polka. (1937)Die Fledermaus overture. Berlin phil. ROSSINI: (1930)La Gazza Ladra overture. (1935)Il Barbiere di Siviglia overture.He has an affinity for these two overtures. PEPPING:(1943) Symphony No 2.(1942) HEINZ SCHUBERT: Hymnic Concert for Soloists, organ and orchestra. Berger and Ludwig. Berlin Phil. FURTWANGLER:(1951) Symphony No 2. Berliner Phil. BARTOK: (1953)Violin Concerto No 2. Yehudi Menuhin Violin.(1939) Symphony Concerto for pinao and orchestra. Edwin Fischer -piano. (1951)VERDI: Othello. Vinay, Martinis, Schoffler, Dermota, Greindl, Vienna Phil. A remarkable document conducted like a massive tone poem. WOLF: (1953) Morike Lieder/ Goethe Lieder/ Italienisches Liederbuch/ Sechs alte Weisen/ Sechs lieder fur eine Frauenstimme/ Eichendorf-Lieder. Schwarzkopf, Furtwangler piano. These songs draw the best from Furtwangler and Schwarzkopf. Last CD. Furtwangler talks about music,useful for his rehearsal techniques. Then speeches and interviews in German. He could speak excellent English and had a passion for Italy. Why is this review come biography so long, because Furtwangler deserves it. He was says Thielemann a phenomenon; one of the greatest of the conductors.References: Ardoin,J. The Furtwangler record. 1996. Armadeus Press. Cowan, R. Furtwangler Man and myth. Gramophone February 2005. Cowan, R. Forces of nature.2002. Deutsche Grammophon, Hamburg. Galkin,E. Conducting in Practice. 1988. Pendragon Press. New York. Grawe, K. Fixing the moment.2001. Deutsche Grammophon,Hamburg. Gutmann, P. Furtwangler a genius forged in the caldron of war.1999. Goggle. Furtwangler- Hall of Fame. 2002. Tim the international music company AG. Shirakawa, S. The Devil's music master. 1992. Oxford University Press. New York.

Che Furtwängler sia stato uno dei più grandi - molti dicono il più grande, ma a certi livelli è assurdo mettersi a fare classifiche - direttori d'orchestra del XX secolo non c'è dubbio. Questa ponderosa raccolta è una scelta tra le centinaia e centinaia di sue registrazioni che sopravvivono, quasi tutte "live" (Furtwängler registrò poco per disco): cronologicamente, si spazia dal 1926 al 1954 (l'anno della morte). I compositori vanno da Bach a Hindemith, passando, ovviamente, per Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner e molti altri. In alcuni casi - Rossini, Johann Strauss, Verdi - si sono incluse nella raccolta le uniche incisioni disponibili per quell'autore, in altri - le sinfonie di Beethoven, per esempio - si è dovuta compiere una scelta, e il criterio sembra essere stato quello di proporre, per le diverse sinfonie, orchestre diverse e anni di registrazione anche lontani tra loro. Certo, così facendo si è perso molto - manca, per esempio la Nona registrata nel marzo 1942, forse una delle più artisticamente belle incisioni in assoluto di questa sinfonia - ma la scelta è amplissima e più che sufficiente a dare un'idea di cosa sia stata l'arte di Furtwängler. Due curiosità di ordine "storico": la raccolta è stata regalata a papa Francesco dalla Merkel in occasione della sua visita in Vaticano; e, tra le sinfonie di Beethoven, è incluso il primo tempo della Nona eseguita davanti a Hitler in occasione del suo compleanno, il 19 aprile 1942. Infine, il prezzo: 100 euro non è poco in assoluto, ma è pochissimo se si pensa che i Cd ricompresi sono ben 107!