Nils-Göran Olve, one of our Swedish correspondents, is the son of a violinist who played for a long time in the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, hence under Furtwängler’s baton.
He participated in our recently released album SWF D12, writing the booklet with Göran Soderval. He did so while he did not yet have the restoration done by the SWF, knowing only previous editions. After downloading and listening to the album, he sent us the following comment.

“I’ve now listened carefully to your new issue, and my admiration for the performances and the sound restoration only grows! Compared with the previous releases that I know there is more transparency and less disturbing reminders that these were acetates or lacquers which were stored for a quarter-century before being rescued in the 1960s. I was also afraid that the tapes had deteriorated from the half-century which elapsed before SWF bought the new digital transfer. Yes, the sound of the full orchestra is not always quite undistorted, and there is background noise. But I felt I had not given proper attention to the music-making. Don Juan is interesting throughout. The Tristan Prelude is at an ideal pace, and in the Liebestod I don’t miss the soprano part — in fact, Furtwängler makes a case for the orchestral version as an interesting alternative when he lets the orchestra unleash its full power in a way which is impossible if you don’t want to drown you Isolde!

But best of all is the Ninth which I will have to compare with other Furtwängler performances, because this strikes me as just about perfect for my taste which has not been the case with Furtwängler Ninths before. Isn’t this swifter than his 1950s recordings, and therefore more to my taste? Yet there is freedom and time for the wind soloists to make memorable contributions. I believe you used the word “serene” and I agree — in the slow movement particularly one can imagine Furtwängler to remain forever in this rapt atmosphere, and not have to return to his country until war was over.

So congratulations, and I hope it sells well so that more people can hear it!

The new digital album can be downloaded from the shop:

Furtwängler and the Stockholm Philharmonic 1942-1943

Dedicated to the memory of our friend Sami Habra, it brings together two original recordings made by the Swedish Radio, which provided us with digitised sources:
– 25 November 1942: Strauss’ Don Juan, Prelude and Isolde’s Death from Wagner’s Tristan;
– 8 December 1943: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Furtwängler conducted the orchestra of the Stockholm Concert Society, the future Philharmonic.

These two programmes have had varying success on disc. The background noise, which was quite present for the 1942 concert, had led previous publishers to filter the sources drastically. Christophe Hénault and we decided to limit the processing, enough to ensure a comfortable listening experience, but not too much so that the musical information is not undermined. Fortunately, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is of much better sound quality. We included the long silences between I and II and between II and III, as well as the applause.

The booklet, written by Nils-Göran Olve and Göran Södervall, provides a wealth of valuable information about Furtwängler’s activities in Sweden during the war years.

Any Furtwängler enthusiast should own this singular testimony to the conductor’s art, which is very different from other, often overexcited, performances from the same period.

This product is available at a price of €13.

If the 1929 Jena Music Festival, an all-Brahms event, was without equivalent — four major orchestral concerts, including the Deutsches Requiem, and concerts of chamber music and Lieder — the 1930 Festival was all about saving money. Was the budget overspent the previous year?

Only two events on the programme: a recital — but not just any recital! — by Maria Ivogün, and a Berliner concert conducted by Furtwängler, in fact a stopover on their major Spring tour.

Link to the facsimile of the brochure.

Just over seventy years ago, on 4 September 1953, Furtwängler began his penultimate season. With the Vienna Philharmonic, he performed a concert in Munich, in the Congress Hall of the Deutsches Museum, before flying to Edinburgh and its festival for a series of concerts with the same orchestra.

We already heard the sound — the SWF has published Egmont and Beethoven’s 4th — but here’s the image, a snapshot taken during the ‘Sitzprobe’.

In mid-September a new album will be available for download:

SWF D12
Furtwängler and the Stockholm Philharmonic – 1942-1943

It features what has been preserved of the concerts given by the Stockholms Konsertförenings orkester — the future Royal Stockholm Philharmonic:
– 25 November 1942: Strauss’s Don Juan; Prelude and Isolde’s death from Wagner’s Tristan;
– 8 December 1943: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Although Don Juan is not entirely ‘mature’, Prelude and Isolde’s Death, from Wagner’s Tristan, are infused with passion. But above all Beethoven’s 9th catches the attention. Far from the somewhat frenetic dramatisation of Berlin, it sounds serene, unfolding with simplicity as if the musicians were discovering the work. The orchestra is flawless, the soloists rare in their subtlety, and the choirs have never been so ‘readable’. Do not compare this performance with those of Berlin, Bayreuth or Lucerne. This is a different world.

The value of this reissue also lies in the work carried out by Christophe Hénault to ensure that these documents are released in the best possible conditions. We managed to obtain high-definition files from Swedish Radio. The restoration work focused mainly on removing the background noise. It should be remembered that these recordings were originally made on steel tape (“Blattnerphone”) or magnetic tape, then, for financial reasons, transferred to 33 rpm 40 cm discs. It was only in the mid-1960s that these records were transferred back to magnetic tape, which has now been digitised.

Nils-Göran Olve and Göran Södervall, who previously documented the Deutsches Requiem published a few years ago, have written a highly documented text that reviews Furtwängler’s appearances between 1940 and 1943, and provides us with little-known information.

This product (almost the equivalent of a CD and a half) will be available at a price of €13. As before, in addition to the booklets, the audio files will be available in both high definition and CD quality. In addition, you will be able to print the covers and inlay cards of the CDs (two boxes required), if you wish to burn them.

We could have ended the 22-23 season with the sad news of Sami Habra’s passing. Let’s close it by announcing a rather rich new season to come, which our friend would not have disavowed.

The Board recently had the pleasure of welcoming the President of the German Furtwängler Society, Helge Grünewald, with whom we will be forging closer links, pooling our resources. Further details will be announced in September.

Mid-September will mark the release of our new digital product, featuring recordings from Stockholm Radio, and in particular Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Stockholm, December 1943). Often neglected, it hides many secrets, revealed at last by the release of high-definition files provided by the Swedish Radio.

We will also be launching our YouTube channel and a “streaming” platform, which will gradually include all our products, even those that are currently out of stock. Here too, more details to come in late August/early September.

We wish you a wonderful summer.

Andreas Furtwängler (son of Wilhelm and Elisabeth) evokes Sami Habra.

… Yes, I remember well the lectures that Sami organized, where he compared different interpretations, lectures well followed by friends of “Furt.”. When I studied in Paris from 1969 to 1970, I often met him: we sometimes went to lunch together because he worked at the bank of Lebanon and I was nearby, at the National Library. At that time he wore a vest in which he placed huge pocket watches, which he took out from time to time to impress some ladies in restaurants. It was very fun! My daughter Elisabeth stayed at his home in Versailles, he was a family friend, who came a few times to Switzerland and finally to Heidelberg at my mother’s funeral.

The Sami Habra’s funeral will take place:

On Tuesday 11 July at 11:00 am.
in the church Notre-Dame
35, rue de la Paroisse
F – 78000 Versailles

We are deeply saddened to announce that Sami Habra passed away yesterday at the age of 88.

As you may know, he was one of the founding members of the SWF, to which he devoted part of his life.

It is hard not to recall the hundreds of lectures he gave over the decades, peppered with anecdotes and ‘bon mots’ – a delight for his listeners.

He was also a significant contributor to the development of our society’s discography.

He was also admired for his extensive musical knowledge, which he was happy to share. He had the opportunity to meet Eugen Jochum and Otto Klemperer, among others, and became friends with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt.

With the passing of Sami Habra, the SWF loses its patriarch and a whole part of its history vanishes.

A very modest man, those who knew him knew that he didn’t like praise or thanks, but we can’t help saying: “Thank you Sami for everything you’ve given us!”

We would like to express our deepest sympathy and emotion to his children, grandchildren and family.

The Board

Sami Habra and Elisabeth Furtwängler at the 20th anniversary of the SWF, 22 April 1989 in Vincennes.

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.