Willhelm Furtwängler: 1886-1954; BBC Radio Documentary (1964)

[@giorgiogalassi7396]

Before I'd listen to Furtwangler I divided music in terms of composers, and chose according to names like Beethoven Mozart etc. After listening to his conduction, music has become to me Furtwangler's on the one side, and the rest's on the other. He achieves at once all the greatest artistic aims that any conductor might set on for himself. Not only music with him becomes a powerful narrative, mora a poetic than an arithmetic language; but he also transforms the musical language into a pure phenomenon of sound. It is true that one feels to be listening any piece he conducts fo the first time, no matter how well known. But it is even truer that one becomes so absorbed with his music that even the music itself disappears, and what is left is simply sounds containing inexpressible feelings, as of emerged form the world of dreams. Especially in his adagios, one feels like listening, or been engaged in the act of listening, as if it were a entirely new experience. He is the most avanguard of all musical interpreters still to this day, and it would be a crime not to teach him to the young.

[@charlesdavis7087]

He knew the secret of how to bring music back to life. It lived once again upon this moment. They all experienced it. The wonder he brought into sound. We are blessed. It's recorded. Who is he?

[@johntravena119]

Well said. Is right! I respect that Menuhin always defended him even when it was unpopular to do so.

[@funnyapples1]

I had to find out more about this man after I heard his Tristan and Isolde. What a great conductor!

[@lisatothviolinist848]

I have played in a lot of orchestras over several decades and it is rare that I get chills when I hear different performances. I ALWAYS get chills when I listen to anything Furtwängler conducted. What a masterful conductor and interpreter.

[@suzyserling277]

Outstanding document!- Thank you!

[@duwir5959]

He was the greatest conductor ever. Regratable, even in the cultivated Great Britain ciritcs wrote, he could not held two bars in the same tempi. The truth was, he don´t want it!

[@penmerch2804]

There will never be another Furtwangler

[@reubenrasberg9846]

Vladimir Ashkenazy is spot on in his remarks upon first hearing Furtwangler's recordings of Beethoven - "Oh, that's it, that's how it should be played". Btw, what is the sublime piece starting at about 29.11?

[@DukeofDarkCorners]

An excerpt from the third movement ("Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato") of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

The Furtwängler mozart 40 was thought spurious for decades after.

[@maxshenkwrites]

Odd, because like so many of his interpretations, when I heard it I thought "This is how it should have been approached all along."

[@Heb.2000]

"heavy but not weighty" I love that

[@misterdonmelvin]

Yep, but the quote was “weighty but not heavy”?

[@dejanstevanic5408]

Thank you for this.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

Is this sold from the bbc store? I really would like to know.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

That it opens with a misstatement is beside the point. "J'ein"?

[@manuelcerqueranogales7674]

9m

[@miamadojesus]

Como siempre, siento mucho que este vídeo, no esté subtitulado a una de las 3 ó 4 lenguas más habladas del mundo: El ESPAÑOL. 🇪🇸😢😥🇪🇸🎻🇪🇸🎺🇪🇸🎶🇪🇸🎵🇪🇸🤷🇪🇸

[@MegaClassicguy]

Excellent documentary, but it is often diffcult to know who is speaking.

[@stephanoszwi9897]

one gets a feeling with the time, knowing at least the voice of Barenboim an Menuhim.

[@orientaldagger6920]

His Walkure and Tristan are first rate. Everything else I have heard of him on disc is pretty forgettable. Loud and louder with errant tempi mostly.

[@p.a.cthegoldenageofmusic3279]

Lei è un ignorante