Wilhelm Furtwängler "Metamorphosen" R. Strauss

"Metamorphosen" Study for 23 solo strings
by Richard Strauss (1884-1949)
Adagio ma non troppo-Agitato-Più allegro-
Adagio, tempo primo-Molto lento
BPO
Wilhelm Furtwängler, conductor
27.X.1947

[@huwzosimos9927]

This must have meant so much to the players and conductor who had lived through the years of madness and destruction. There are many great performances of this transcendent work, but this must surely be one of the most historic. Wonderful to hear it.

[@bernardsesolis9342]

C'est beau à pleurer ! Pleurer de joie. J'ai rarement entendu une interprétation aussi intériorisée et à la fois aussi communicative. Un miracle !

[@MegaClassicguy]

This is extraordinary. This is not only the best version but Strauss appears here as very deep composer.

[@bosareva]

He WAS a very deep composer! Probably the last German musical Genius!

[@ekrenek]

This is truly a historic document and the most amazing Metamorphosen ever recorded. Period. After you read the notes - Strauss, Furtwangler, the BPO, 1947 - little else need be said by way of commentary...

[@mariokoification]

Puls vom Anfang bis Ende, keine unnötigen und geschmacklosen ritardandi, wie aus einem Stück Marmor! Best Interpretation I ever heard. Have played this piece some 30 times in Munich Chamber Orchestra, but nobody managed to get this piece in this form. And I guess, nobody is going to, pity... Vielen Dank for posting this recording!

[@BalbirSingh-tt8rv]

One of the greatest performance of Metamorphosis.

[@michaelknight7075]

One of the treasure of the human kind!

[@bertrandaddor3042]

Mon Dieu ! Que c'est beau !

[@flylooper]

My God! That's beyond beautiful.

[@joachimsaxer4812]

Date and time: 1947, Oct 27, probably the 'Titania' Palace. One month earlier, Sept 28, same venue: The orchestra welcomed Yehudi Menuhin for the first time since 1931.

[@Gralsritter]

Amazingly this was the first and only time Furtwängler ever conducted this piece.

[@iianneill6013]

There is nothing more to say. He lay bare all the beauty and the horror.

[@prevalain]

Sans doute l'interprétation où le désarroi du vieux compositeur passe avec le plus d'éloquence mais aussi avec le plus de sobriété. Une pure merveille.

[@samroth4118]

One of the six greatest musical treasures of the world for Glenn Gould

[@ilirllukaci5345]

I knew Gould was crazy about Strauss, particularly the late operas, didn't realize he'd singled this out. Which were the other 5?

[@samroth4118]

@@ilirllukaci5345 I would say: Thus Angels sung by Gibbons, Art of Fugue by Bach, Grosse Fuge by Beethoven, Serenade op.24 by Schonberg and Fifth Symphony by Sibelius

[@alainlievin741]

Somptueuse et bouleversante interprétation!

[@123must]

Two Geniuses ! Thanks a lot

[@tommymoore8390]

sublime! thank you for sharing

[@marcolucca6241]

Furt + BPO in 1947 playing a composition dated 1945 of a old glory componist of Germany pre-WW1: the historic value of this for Germany is IMMENSE

[@RemovdSande11]

Incredible

[@OrchestrationOnline]

Definitely the standard by which all other recordings and performances are measured. A transcendent work of self-reflection, like Prospero breaking his staff - which evolved in the mind of a recovering Central Europe as an expression of atonement.

[@alejandrosotomartin9720]

two years after the war, with germany completely destroyed and they are capable of doing this, incredible

[@123must]

A masterpiece ! Thanks a lot

[@RMunchSondergaard]

This is still beyond me! In time maybe!

[@ExxylcrothEagle]

Thank you for these Furtwangler recordings. Feelin' it

[@willrobinson1229]

Almost too painful to listen to, knowing how real and close the inspiration for this piece is as it is being performed.

[@shin-gg2rk3mt3d]

敗戦からわずか２年後、瓦礫の山の中で作曲者の最も沈痛な曲を、指揮者は慟哭の念を込めて奏でた。その慟哭は今もなお続く。

[@THEMGOROTH75]

Ah,yeees my friend!! This is EPIC art!!

[@jonnsmusich]

And Rudolf Kempe's of course - wonderful.

[@grig035]

Richard Strauss wrote these words in his diary at the end of the war, only a day or so after finishing this piece --- "The most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany's 2000 years of cultural evolution met its doom."

[@tomgeydan]

Truly moving!

[@DerVomFreitag]

This evening I will hear it in Richard Strauss' GARMISCH - Richard Strauss Festival Garmisch-Partenkirchen 2012 ;-))

[@THEMGOROTH75]

listen to the theme at 11.23 - 11.59 !!

[@NikitsuLaw]

aaahhhhhhhhhhhh.........

[@larrycox2010]

There seems to be variations on Beethoven symphony 5 and then what sounds like Wagner in the first movement. Listening as I type.

[@louismcelwee7459]

Its hard to believe this is the time he conducted this but why try to top perfection. Even better than Von Karajan. it has to be one

[@airslicer1311]

Richard Georg Strauss (június 11, 1864 - szeptember 8, 1949) - it would be nice to fix the date of birth ...

[@user-zt6yb9he2y]

リヒアルト･シュトラウス ｢Metamorph……｣ ベルリンフィルハーモニー交響楽団演奏賛辞 ヴィリアム･フルトヴェングラー 指 揮 大 賛 辞

[@ichiro811]

濃い！！

[@MassimoCaronti]

A 1.25 SI SENTE ANCHE A TOSSIRE.....!!!!!

[@miguelleiton3645]

Lastima los tosedores.............

[@jonnsmusich]

Historic recording: sure. But, as music interpretation and realization? Well tastes differ. I have deeply appreciated Furtwangler for decades. But I wouldn't offer this performance as an example of his great art. Another commenter recommended the Barbirolli recording, which is very good. - Though not usually a Von Karajan fan, I still feel his is one of the more musically coherent performances with higher quality performers.

[@samroth4118]

There are 3 recording by Karajan. Which one are you referring at?

[@simonalbrecht9435]

I find it hard to imagine what you consider to be deficiencies of the interpretation.

[@jonnsmusich]

@@simonalbrecht9435 I listened again and then compared his performance with Kempe's 2006 EMI re-release, (Dresden) and Karajan's 1974/1996 DG with BPO. Taste is taste. Personal preference. I grew up appreciating Furtwengler's artistry/mastery. So this performance was a disappointment. Why, you ask? The performance sounds tired. Uncommitted. Unconvincing. The sound quality doesn't help. But there are many of his recordings (I have many of them) that show their sonic age without degrading the performance quality. I heard Strauss's musicianship clearly, but not Strauss' anguish. Kempe brings out the interplay of voices very well to create an emotional arc. Karajan probably milks his slow performance a little. But both build to the final sense of despair. Perhaps Furtwengler was going for numbness and I missed it.

[@jonnsmusich]

@@samroth4118 1974 rr 1996 PBO on DG. A slow performance. I'm not a great admirer of v Karajan, but he had his moments and some outstanding performances. I enjoy this one. And the BPO was on form.

[@pressesprecher645]

Much too fast

[@dereksharp3081]

AirSea1000 I believe the Karajan recording kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ-wcnqtgaebpq8 predates this one.