Everyone knows that Furtwängler conducted his first concert at the age of twenty, and that the programme featured Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony.

How and why did he come to take the podium at such a young age?

The attached study (PDF) reveals the answer.

Two years ago, the SWF published an online facsimile of the programme for one of Furtwängler’s most famous concerts, from the series held between 27 and 30 June 1943.

The programme, consisting entirely of Beethoven — the 4th Symphony, Coriolan, and the 5th Symphony — was recorded by German radio and has, for over fifty years, been the subject of numerous recordings, ranking among the essential items in the conductor’s discography. There were even two versions of the 4th Symphony available: one recorded live, the other without an audience. As for the exact dates of these recordings..

Thanks to a document originating from a musician of the Berlin Philharmonic, it is finally possible to date all three works. This is revealed in the short study (pdf) available exclusively to our members.

These recordings were originally reissued by Melodiya

Many conductors began their careers as pianists, concert performers or simply as vocal coaches. This was the case with Furtwängler, as it was with Walter, Klemperer, Kleiber and many others.

A few came from the world of strings: Nikisch the violinist, Toscanini the cellist, Monteux the violist, Koussevitzky the double bassist…

Would conductors from the first category be at a disadvantage when conducting an orchestra in which the string section appears to dominate? As for Furtwängler, what did he know about playing the bow?

The brief study we present here will surprise more than a few.

Furtwängler and three violinists from the Vienna Philharmonic (1954):
Willi Boskowsky, Carl Johannis, Fritz Sedlak