January 25: Wilhelm Furtwängler’s fans know that this day marks his birthday. But January 26, 1913, the following day, is an even more memorable date for him: he conducts his very first concert in Vienna. That evening, at 8 p.m. on Sunday, he conducts the Wiener Konzertvereinsorchester — literally the concert society orchestra, the predecessor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Based on correspondence, historical archives, and newspaper articles, the study (pdf) takes us back in time to discover an ambitious young conductor grappling with the vicissitudes of a career…

Berlin Staatsoper – 28 September 2025 – Wilhelm Furtwängler Gesellschaft

Our friends from the German Society organised a morning event in a foyer — the Apollosaal — at the Berlin State Opera. It took place on 28 September.

In addition to speeches — including one by Helge Grünewald, the president — guests were treated to the two central movements of Furtwängler’s Sonata No. 1 in D minor for violin and piano.

We are delighted to be associated with this festive event — which demonstrates the vitality of our sister society — by offering our members the souvenir album (French + English) which contains the text of the speech, photos, and a link to the video made for the occasion.

Exactly a century ago, on 19 January 1926, Furtwängler conducted the Viennese premiere of one of the most powerful oratorios of the 20th century, Le Laudi di san Francesco d’Assisi, by the Swiss composer Hermann Suter (1870–1926), who died a few months after this performance.

The work, based on the Canticle of the Creatures, written in the 13th century by Saint Francis of Assisi, is composed for soloists, mixed choir, children’s choir and large orchestra.

Furwängler had an exceptional cast at his disposal: Amalie Merz-Tunner (soprano), Frieda Dierolf (contralto), Karl Erb (tenor), Josef von Manowarda (bass), Georg Valker (organ), Friederich Wührer (piano), the Peterlinischer Knabenchor Mariahilf, the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

This ambitious score is all too rarely given the attention it deserves. Even back then, it took a certain amount of audacity to programme it!

Since the early 1960s, all Furtwängler enthusiasts have known that Bruckner’s Ninth was recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic on 7 October 1944 in the Beethovensaal. And — despite what was stated on all Deutsche Grammophon LPs and CDs — this was not a live recording, but a ‘Magnetofonkonzert’, with the radio microphone as its only audience.

And yet doubts remained about this date, raised in particular by reading the booklet accompanying the voluminous CD edition of the ‘war concerts’ by the BPO a few years ago.

It is credit to the SWF that, after some complicated research, it is now able to reveal the exact dates of the recording sessions for this Ninth Symphony. You will find the explanations in the newsletter (pdf) available to our members.

Research is now focusing on Mozart’s 39th, which has been labelled for over fifty years as 1942/1943… And why not 1926/1954?…

As previously announced, here is the first volume — SWF D22 — of the complete Polydor recordings, available in the shop.

It includes the earliest recordings, notably Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

This is the result of exceptional remastering work, based on collector’s copies.

At he cost of € 10,00.

Content: Weber Der Freischütz: Ov. – Beethoven Fifth Symphony – Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’Dream: Ov. – Bach Suite No. 3: Air – Schubert Rosamunde: Entracte No. 3 & Ballet No. 2

Next chapter: March/April.

The board of the SWF sends its best wishes to all: may 2026 be a very happy year for you and your loved ones.

As a gift: a discovery made by our member George Zepos. Furtwängler conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Budapest on 10 November 1943. For this performance, the conductor was able to count on the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and the Municipal Choir, as well as soloists Magda Rigo (soprano), Maria Basilides (alto), Andreas Rösler (tenor) and Georg Losonczy (bass). The concert was broadcast. Unless we are mistaken, this brings the total number of performances of this symphony by Furtwängler to 109.

Furtwängler and the Budapest Philharmonic (Erkel Theatre)

Next 24 January, the Japanese orchestra Symphonica will give a concert at Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo to mark its 40th anniversary. Under the baton of Kenjiro Sakairi, it will perform Schumann’s Fourth Symphony from the score revised by Furtwängler. The second half will feature Strauss’s Alpine Symphony. For those interested in this revision, we refer you to the facsimile of the score and to the study (PDF in French and English) published with SWF D15.