Menuhin talking about Furtwängler

This sheds some light on the relationship between Furtwängler and Menuhin and his professional relationship towards Heifetz and Toscanini.

[@carlosbashuertas]

Furtwangler is the greatest ever conductor. As simple as that.

[@pupulique]

it was much easier to escape than to stay in front of a beast's mouth.

[@xpto228]

Menuhin, a true gentleman with a true love for music. I got to know Bach's sonatas and partitas for violin through him. I love how he plays the Chaconne in D minor, I still haven't found any other recording that quite matches his.

[@ass1joe]

and with all the wisdom of hindsight we love to judge the dead

[@rtega]

@mydarlingfilms This is indeed from a documentary about Menuhin's life. "Yehudi Menuhin - The violin of the century".

[@somersetuk525]

Menuhin contributed so much good especially in the UK, one of the principals of "The Bath Festival " who played in Bath Abbey surrounded with Georgian Bldgs and history back to the Romans, also Eliz Schwartkopf sang lieder there in the 50's...good thoughts.

[@harryfaber]

@rtega Do you stay, and try to preserve some decency, or do you run away and save yourself and avoid being accused of colaboration? I do not know the answer, I am very relieved that I have not had to debate the question with my own conscience. I think, and I may be wrong, that Furtwangler was a decent and honourable man.

[@nightwish1000]

to all american friends here, who think that they could judge furthwängler...why didn't you leave america during the vietnam or iraq war, which was lead under false pretexts?

[@newgeorge]

which bing translates as "The drooling of the toad does not reach the White Dove"

[@elainebmack]

I believe that your assessment is closer to the truth about Furtwangler.

[@rtega]

@SteveAndrewLangford And indeed Furtwangler knew part of what was happening. Could he have simply left, I suppose is was not so easy as you make it sound. But you can form your own oppinion of that.

[@rtega]

See personal message as to where this term actually comes from. I will spare you the view of Menuhin on Karajan.

[@gorankatic40000bc]

True. And he wanted to keep German musical tradition and serve his people in it's darkest hours. I have heard that he helped 80 people to escape from Nazis. And how did Heifetz and Toscanini help?

[@SteveAndrewLangford]

@rtega You having been well-read on this, why do you not explain it to me? I am sure you can articulate more clearly your position on the matter.

[@71280Carmen]

The toad's blabber doesn't reach to the white dove :-)

[@rtega]

@SteveAndrewLangford Steve, I'm not going to put everything in here. Let me suggest to you some stuff to read: - read the wikipedia page on furtwangler - search for "furtwangler genius cauldron" in google and read the first article - watch the movie "taking sides" It's not entirely historically correct but it will give some idea about the circumstances in which he worked - read the book "the great conductors" then form your own opinion, but at least try to go beyond simply rejecting people.

[@rtega]

@peachy557 Steve makes it sound as though Furtwangler stayed because he didn't care at all what was happening and he only stayed to save his job. You should now since you are playing his part that that was not entirely the case. He did everything that was in his power to save people that were persecuted and didn't want to betray the people that were not with the nazis but stuck in Germany. This is quite contrary to other musicians who simply joined the party to get higher up.

[@TheStockwell]

@peachy557 I agree. Furtwangler had opportunities to leave. However, Goebbels NEVER summoned him or asked him to leave. That just never happened. Goebbels knew the propaganda value of keeping WF in Germany. What kept WF in Germany, among other things, was Arnold Schoenberg's imploring him to do in order to help other people get out. At least a hundred people survived the war due to WF's assistance, something that would've been impossible if he'd fled. Harwood's play omits that . . .

[@justinckchung]

What did Menuhin said at last? The one in French??

[@MegaKillWhitey]

as an "American" I judge Wilhelm Furtwangler as most wonderful. if there is someone better than him, it might be Das Wunderbar Karajan. or Von Karajan. usually I rate these two even, in a dead heat that is.

[@angvoigt1]

totally share yr view !!!!!

[@amezcuaist]

If he had left we would be discussing the next one who did not leave. If Hitler was shot , yet another would have replaced him. There could be hundreds just as bad as Hitler from any number of countries. We should learn that Humans are capable of these things. It`s a Human failing.

[@rtega]

@SteveAndrewLangford Obviously you don't know much about the entire history. I suggest you read some more about it.

[@lizclegg7556]

What did he say in French at the end?

[@rtega]

La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe.

[@lizclegg7556]

rtega Thanks. So he's saying that if you're at a very high level you can't be attacked???

[@rtega]

Liz Clegg Actually it means something along the lines that slander cannot retain a pure reputation.

[@lizclegg7556]

rtega OK thanks a lot for explaining.

[@1571JohannesKepler]

rtega Hello people, Rtega, if by 'retain' you meant 'maintain' or 'preserve', then I think you're mistaken. Literally the quote is: "The slime of the toad does not reach (n'atteint pas) the white dove. The slime of the toad is the slander, and the dove is, in this case, Mehunin. To Liz Clegg, I would say that it was not because Mehunin was among the best of his time that those slander could not hurt him. Fürtwangler was wrongly accused to have sympathy for the nazi regime (see the movie "Taking side"). So when Mehunin was attacked for supporting W.F., he just replied what Fürtwangler could have say.

[@harrynking777]

Except Heifetz.

[@rtega]

La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe.

[@SteveAndrewLangford]

Menuhin is mistaken, he was an opportunist just like Furtwangler. They knew what was going on, both of them, everybody did. He could have just left.

[@nightwish1000]

@peachy557 listen man, you live in a comparingly free world today, stop to believe that you would have acted differently from the people who lived in germany back then and most of all stop judging them! or better listen to jewish actress lilli palmer who left germany before the war and who stated that she would have never did so if she hadn't been jewish and persecuted!

[@MrHbc3]

Americans will soon have an opportunity to demonstrate how well they (we) can behave when our government becomes intensely fascistic. During the process of getting there we aren't looking too good.