About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Any listener who admires the art of Wilhelm Furtwängler will want to have a copy of his magisterial 1942 performance of Schubert's "C major Symphony" with the Berliner Philharmoniker. The question, though, is which version is preferable. There are multiple versions available, including the 1989 Deutsche Grammophon release, as well as any number of pirated Italian releases. For the most part, the sound is decent enough, considering the recording originated in war-time Berlin. This 2009 Tahra release definitively answers the question as to which one is the best; there is no tape hiss or surface noise here, only the actual music, along with a few random coughs, in the cleanest, clearest reproduction yet. There's real warmth to the orchestra's tone and real depth to the acoustic, so that the Berlin musicians seem to be in a real place in real time, albeit one that was long ago in a country far, far away. As for the performance itself, mere words cannot do it justice. Furtwängler uses rubato to shape phrases and forms, and a palpable sense of ineluctable flow and inevitable rightness pervades every aspect of the performance. Coupled with Furtwängler and the Berlin musicians' melancholy 1944 recording of the third act Entr'acte from the composer's "Rosamunde," this disc will be compulsory listening for every Furtwängler aficionado. James Leonard, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: