Another poorly referenced concert.

In January 1917 a ‘Richard Strauss Week’ took place in Mannheim. Furtwängler programmed Ariadne auf Naxos and Salome, both premieres for him.

His orchestra took part in an exceptional concert on the 17th, where Furtwängler, in the second half, handed over the conductorship to the composer for a performance of Ein Heldenleben. The orchestra had been expanded for the event. In the opening part, Furtwängler conducted Beethoven’s 4th Symphony, and played alongside the bass Wilhelm Fenten, a member of his theatre company, in the two Lieder opus 51 by the illustrious guest: Das Tal and Der Einsame.

This event was covered by a number of editorials in the press, details have been compiled in our database.

Furtwängler and Strauss, c. 1934

One day, it will be worth devoting a study or podcast to Furtwängler’s performance of Mozart’s Serenade K.361 for 13 winds, better known as the Gran Partita, an appellation that is not, by the way, the composer’s own.

Contrary to what one might imagine, Furtwängler performed it quite late, in 1941, both in Vienna and in Berlin. And very surprisingly, he rarely performed it in its entirety, at least once, on the HMV recording in 1947.

At the Wiener Philharmoniker’s concert on 9 February 1941, this ambitious work was performed alongside another masterpiece, Bruckner’s Seventh. Here is the facsimile of the programme.

Furtwängler conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, March 1942

You will find on the shop pour brand new production.

As announced previously, here is the recording of Furtwängler’s entire concert conducted by the Berlin Philharmonic on 12 December 1943.

– Variations on a theme by Haydn
– Piano Concerto No. 2, with Adrian Aeschbacher
– the Fourth Symphony.

Christophe Hénault has completely re-mastered the tapes held by the SWF. The result is a ‘purified’ recording, but one that retains the dark colour of these performances, which are among the most compelling ever left by the conductor.

A text by Guilhem Chameyrat and some rare illustrations are also included in this product, priced at €15.

Guilhem Chameyrat is our host for this presentation podcast (you may activate English subtitles).

The SWF site, in its current design, was released in June 2017.

Eight years later, it gathers :

– almost 330 news items;
– a detailed list of almost 2,600 concerts;
– 363 photographs;
– a discography;
– 69 concert programmes in facsimile;
– more than 30 in-depth studies;
– 118 circulars;
– 17 (soon to be 18) products for download;
– 75 albums on streaming…

As far as I know, nowhere else is there such a site, not only about Furtwängler, but also about another great classical performer.