Concert of 14 November 1943

Two major highlights in this programme: Bruckner's 6th Symphony, and Pierre Fournier.

A few weeks earlier, in Vienna, Furtwängler had given his first performance of this work by Bruckner, which would not appear in his programmes thereafter. A pity. On the occasion of this Berlin performance, he confessed to Karla Höcker: "I had to wait to be 57 to conduct this symphony. Isn't that a beautiful thing to experience... at the age of 57?" Karla Höcker is featured in the printed programme for an interview with the conductor.

This was the first time Furtwängler performed with French cellist Pierre Fournier. Following Cortot, he was the second French artist (at least from the musical world...) to make the trip to Berlin. Some people held this against him... He only met Furtwängler again in Paris in 1952, for Brahms' Double Concerto with Joseph Szigeti.

As we know, the German radio recording of the concert is incomplete. The first movement of Bruckner's 6th Symphony and a good part of Schumann's Concerto are missing. A pity once again...

Let's add a few details.
From the beginning of this season, printed programmes no longer had a hardback cover, undoubtedly as a restriction measure. The last page of the programme announces upcoming concerts. Don't be fooled! The 2nd Knapperstbusch concert had been postponed to 17 December. As for the 3rd concert of the philharmonic season, Vittorio Gui handed over the baton to Karl Böhm, who... would not conduct, the concert having been cancelled because of bombings... And don't be surprised by the name of the choir performing the St Matthew on 21 November: the Deutscher Philharmonischer Chor is the new name of the Bruno Kittel Chor, a decision taken by the authorities... But besides that, everything's fine.