Wilhelm Furtwängler

Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler /ˈvɪlhɛlmˈfʊrtˌvɛŋlər/ , born the January 25th 1886 with Berlin, dead the November 30th 1954 with Ebersteinburg (today district of Baden-Baden), Leader and German type-setter .

Biography

His/her Adolf father, was archeologist, and his mother painter. His/her Phillip brother was mathematician. He passed most of his childhood to Munich, where his/her father taught at the university. He accepted a musical education as of his more young age, developing very early a predilection for Beethoven, type-setter to which there remained “close” all his life. He was the pupil of Josef Rheinberger.

At the time where Furtwängler made its beginnings as leader, at the age of twenty years, he had already written various works. However, the reception that they had received being very mitigated, and in fear of the material insecurity related to a career of type-setter, it preferred to be devoted fully to the direction of orchestra. At the time of its first concert, it directed Kaim Orchestra in the Ninth Symphony of Anton Bruckner. It ensured of the temporary directions of orchestras Munich, Lübeck, Mannheim, Francfort-sur-le-Main and Vienna, before obtaining more durable employment, initially the Berlin Staatskapelle in 1920, then with the Orchestre of Gewandhaus of Leipzig in 1922, where it succeeded Arthur Nikisch and, simultaneously, with the prestigious Philharmonic orchestra of Berlin. Later on, he became musical director of the Philharmonic orchestra of Vienna, of the Festival of Salzburg and of the Festival of Bayreuth, this last function at the time being regarded as posts it most prestigious for a leader in Germany.

Furtwängler was famous for its great difficulties of being expressed. Its pupil Sergiu Celibidache remembered that its favorite argument was “Well, satisfy you to listen to music”. Carl Brinitzer of the German service of the BBC tried one day to interview it, and tested the impression to have an imbecile in front of him. A recording of a repetition with an orchestra of Stockholm illustrates this problem fully: one understands nothing understandable there, just a continuation of marmonnements and fredonnements. In spite of that, Furtwängler always was very respected among the musicians of orchestra.

The reports/ratios of Furtwängler with Adolf Hitler and its attitude towards the Nazis caused many polemics. At the time of their come to power in 1933, it was very critical in their opposition. In 1934, it was to him besides interdict to direct the first of the opera of Paul Hindemith, Mathis der Maler , which led Furtwängler to resign of its functions to the Opera of Berlin, as a protest. In 1936, being more and more in cold with the mode, it was proposed to him to become principal chief of the Philharmonic orchestra of New York, function in which it would have succeeded Arturo Toscanini. Some claimed at the time Furtwängler had made mine want expatrier, in a kind of blackmail intended to again obtain its functions with the Opera of Berlin. This thesis was accredited in writing pad by Hermann Goering, which managed “to radio-control” a dispatch in this direction of the Berliner office of the Associated Press. This episode caused in return a certain animosity to New York against Furtwängler, some going until claiming that the leader had actually become a heat in favor of the Nazis. Although nothing was never proven in this direction (and that one recognizes today that Furtwängler always obstinately refused to practice safety Nazi), this false reputation largely prevailed until its death.

Furtwängler was relatively well treated by the Nazis, occupying an enviable position in the cultural mediums of Third Reich. Its concerts were often retransmis with the radio to support moral German troops, but the authorities limited however the number of its public concerts. Its attitude towards the Jews remains still discussed today. On a side, it glorifiait certain Jewish artists such as Artur Schnabel, but of the other it would have supported the boycott of the Jewish goods and would have been very critical towards alleged “a Jewish domination” in the newspapers of the time.

Towards the end of the war, the pressure Nazi becoming to him unbearable, Furtwängler took refuge in Suisse.

Worried after the war by the authorities of occupation, Furtwängler declared in particular:

“I knew that Germany lived in a terrible situation; I felt responsible for the German music, and it was of my duty to survive this crisis, as much as I could it. The fact that my art was diverted for propaganda is to be put out of balance with the fact, more important, that the German music was to be preserved and played for the Germans by their own musicians. These people, the compatriots of Bach and Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, had to continue to live under the yoke of a mode obsessed by the all-out war. Those which did not live themselves here during this period cannot probably judge it such as it was. ”

was

“Thomas Mann at the time very critical against Furtwängler really believes that, in “Germany de Himmler”, nobody should have allowed himself to play Beethoven ? Couldn't it include/understand only anybody, more than the Germans who lived under the terror of Himmler, did not need more to hear Beethoven and its message of freedom and love of the humanité ? I do not regret being remained with them. ”

In 1948, it returns to the Philharmonique of Berlin (Celibidache had replaced it in 1945) and there remains by connecting the concerts, not in the room of Alte Philharmonie (destroyed in February 1944) but in various Berliner buildings, generally in Titania Palast, a cinema arranged in concert hall.

Furtwängler connects the concerts with Vienna, where it also has much success, directs regularly to the Festival of Lucerne and the Festival of Bayreuth (festival which it again inaugurates in 1951 with the Symphonie n°9 of Beethoven).

In spite of the remote regions of its life, it becomes again a leader considered and respected in all Europe.

Wilhelm Furtwängler dies in November 1954 of a Pneumonie with Baden-Baden.

Pupils

In addition to Celibidache, Furtwängler, among its had protected, the pianist Karlrobert Kreiten. It also had a great influence on the pianist and leader Daniel Barenboim, by the way whose the widow of Furtwängler, Elisabeth Furtwängler, said that it “furtwänglisait” ( er furtwänglere. ) Barenboim recorded the 2nd symphony of Furtwängler with the Symphony orchestra of Chicago.

Interpretation, repertory

Furtwängler is regarded by many musical critics as the most important leader of the XXe century.

Its interpretations in concert as with the disc of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and of Wagner are regarded as references. Its very personal style of interpretation is characterized by major sonorities, an exuberant lyricism and a direction of the development of works in their quasi organic duration.

If the German romanticism undoubtedly constitutes the most exceptional part of its repertory, this one was not limited to the traditional repertory, and Furtwängler was also celebrated for its directions of contemporary works, such as the Concerto for orchestra of Béla Bartók or its own works (see below).

The impressive stature very as much as the single style of direction of Furtwängler, - fact of jerked and pressing movements -, contributed largely to will have that he exerted on the orchestras which he directed. Its artistic genius has without any doubt contributed for rehabilitating it much, and in spite of his known ambiguous positions of all during the war, the leader preserved the respect of his contemporaries.

Cinema and theater

Its lawsuit in Dénazification in 1946 was the subject of a play of Ronald Harwood, Taking Sides , created with London in 1995. Ronald Harwood wrote also the scenario of the film adaptation, carried out by István Szabó (2001).

The French version of the part put in scene by Marcel Bluwal, With wrongs and reasons , knew a great success and eleven nominations with the Molières (2000). The role of Furtwängler was held by Michel Bouquet, that of the American, uncultivated officer notorious, by Claude Brasseur.

Principal works of the type-setter

Orchestral works

Symphony No 1 in so minor
Symphony No 2 as a semi minor
Symphony No 3 in minor C
Opening in major E flat
Concerto for piano

Chamber music

Quintet with piano in major C
Sonata for violin No 1 in minor D
Sonata for violin No 2 in major D

Vocal music

Te Deum for chorus and orchestra

Discography

The discography of Furtwängler is very important and its legendary recordings are regularly republished by the recording companies.

What follows is only one small selection.

Beethoven, Third Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Vienna, December 1944 (Grammofono 2000, Magic Master, Music and Arts, Preiser, Tahra)

Beethoven, 5 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, June 1943 (Classica d' Oro, Deutsche Grammophon, Enterprise, Music and Arts, Opus Kura, Tahra)

Beethoven, 7 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, November 1943 (Classica d' Oro, Deutsche Grammophon, Music and Arts, Opus Kura)

Beethoven, 9 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, March 1942 (Archipelago, Classica d' Oro, Music and Arts, Opus Kura, Tahra)

Beethoven, 9 {{E}} Symphony , concert of opening of Bayreuther Festspiele with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Elisabeth Höngen, Hans Hopf and Otto Edelmann. (EMI 1951).

Brahms, 1 {{Re}} Symphony , concert with the Symphony orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, Hamburg, October 1951 (Music and Arts, Tahra)

Brahms, Second Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Vienna, January 1945 (Deutsche Grammophon, Archipelago, Grammofono 2000, Music and Arts)

Brahms, 3 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, December 1949 (EMI)

Brahms, 4 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, October 1948 (EMI)

Bruckner, 5 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, October 1942 (Classica d' Oro, Deutsche Grammophon, Music and Arts)

Bruckner, 8 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Vienna, October 1944 (Deustche Grammophon, Music and Arts)

Bruckner, 9 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, October 1944 (Deutsche Grammophon)

Furtwängler, Second Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Vienna, February 1953 (Orfeo)

Mozart, Don Giovanni , concerts with the festival of Salzburg 1953 and 1954. Available under various labels, of which EMI.

Schubert, 9 {{E}} Symphony , concert with the Philharmonic of Berlin, 1942 (Deutsche Grammophon, Magic Master, Music and Arts, Opus Kura)

Schumann, 4th Symphony , recording of studio with the Philharmonic of Berlin, Deutsche Grammophon, May 1953 (Deutsche Grammophon)

Tchaïkovsky, 6 {{E}} Symphony (" Pathétique") , recording of studio with the Philharmonic of Berlin, HMV, 1938 (EMI, Naxos)

Wagner, Tristan und Isolde , recording of studio with Flagstad, HMV, July 1952 (EMI, Naxos)

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