Furtwängler was a regular at the Philharmonia concerts between 1950 and his death. We have already published facsimiles of two programmes.

Here is another one, that of the concert of 24 April 1952 at the Royal Albert Hall. Ask for the program!

The faithful Roger Smithson obtained the memories of Gerald Kingsley, then a young music student, who attended this concert, as he was present at many others conducted by the maestro.

Furtwängler and the Philharmonia at the Royal Albert Hall

The Wilhelm Furtwängler Centre of Japan announces two new releases.

WFHC-050/52 (price: US$ 34,50)
César Franck : Symphony in D minor
Johannes Brahms : Symphony No.2
VPO – Vienna 28 January 1945
Beethoven : Symphony  No.1 – BPO, Berlin 19 September 1954
Beethoven : Overture Leonore II – BPO, Berlin 18 October 1948
Brahms : Symphonie No.2 – BPO, Munich 7 May 1952

WFHC-047/9 (price: US$ 46,60)
J.-S. Bach : Suite No.3
Brahms : Symphony No.4
BPO – Berlin 22 October 1948
J.-S. Bach : Suite No.3
Schubert : Symphony No.8
Brahms : Symphony No.4
BPO – Berlin 24 October 1948

The above price is indicative (exchange rate), including postal charges, but without membership.
Information and orders: directly to WFCJ
Address: info@furt-centre.com

The list of Furtwängler concerts has more than 2500 records, almost all filled in: date, venue, works performed, soloists, etc. A lot of details. Much of this list is based on the work done by René Trémine 30 years ago. Since then, the list has been completed, corrected by a multitude of small contributions, but which allow, in the long run, to make the inventory reliable.

One example among others. The concert in Lübeck on 11 October 1913 announced:
– Strauss : Sinfonia Domestica           
– Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist: Alice Ripper)
– Weber: Overture to Oberon
– Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.?
suggesting that the orchestra had finished the concert with one of the 21 Hungarian Dances, orchestrated by Brahms (he only did 3) or another musician..

Reading a review of the time dispels any misunderstanding. In fact, the Hungarian Dance — No. 6 in D flat Major — constituted an encore played on keyboard by Alice Ripper at the end of the Liszt Concerto and before Oberon.

Admittedly, this is not much, but a Furtwängler Society would not fulfill its mission by missing out on such information, as slight as it may be.