Wilhelm Furtwängler Legacy - 107 CDs

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I did a little shopping around last week and bought the Wilhelm Furtwängler Legacy CD box set. It's early days yet and it will be several weeks before I've listen to all of it, but I don't regret buying it even for the few CDs I've already played. I wondered whether it might contain the "complete" Furtwängler, but this is far from the case. The compiler chose one version of each work and sometimes added excerpts from one or two other versions. This seems a reasonable compromise. So we have the Rome Ring cycle, with highlights from the La Scala version. We don't have samples of all 10 "Eroica" recordings - just one or two.
With such a wealth of great performances to look forward to, I wonder whether it is better to listen to the CDs in numerical order, starting with Bach, Handel and Gluck, going on to Beethoven, then Brahms, Bruckner... or to jump around more to provide the ear with greater variety. So far, I'v stuck to the first method, and have heard Furtwängler's Bach recordings for the very first time. It sounded strange hearing Brandenburg 5 with a piano, but in St Matthew Passion WF did use a harpsichord...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

In the absence of a "green-with-envy" emoticon, I shall restrain myself to congratulating you on buying such a wonderful set, Alpie. I've never heard WF in any Bach (which only now occurs to - and surprises - me) but his Handel is superb: slow and thick as treacle (which I love!) but with an exact ear for pacing and placing. He knows exactly where the Music is heading and keeps it going towards that destination. (Karajan, in comparison, was too fond of "living in the moment" in his recordings of the Concerti Grossi).

Go steady, though! Fürtwängler is like a fine malt whisky - each is an intense experience to be savoured, and the experience "lives" with you for some time after the event. With 107 CDs there's the temptation to overdose!

Best Wishes.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes. On the one hand, I want to check that all the CDs are OK, but on the other, it's important to cherish the work of such a great musician.

[Karafan]

Sounds like a treasure trove, EA!

I have been enjoying the Tahra WF SACDs recently and, after his Lucerne LvB 9, I had to lie down in a darkened room with a damp cloth over my face. 'Cherish' is the word.

K.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In the absence of a "green-with-envy" emoticon

I thought I'd found one. Must have anothe go.

I've only scratched the surface so far, but this box is unbelievable. Highly recommended.

[Cassander]

I have the 5th Brandenburg in another (EMI)) incarnation, and though it won't top the Building a Library recomendations ever, WF does something with the piano solo / cadenza that's the equivalent of sending a loudspeaker unit into vibrational meltdown. He does the same with LvB's Grosse Fuge, as well as in Haydn 88, Schumann 4 and Beethoven 4 finale, as well as much else, transporting the listener to an altogether ethereal, Dionysiac plane. That's why we endure the relatively primitive sonics of most of his recordings.

[amateur51]

I have the 5th Brandenburg in another (EMI)) incarnation, and though it won't top the Building a Library recomendations ever, WF does something with the piano solo / cadenza that's the equivalent of sending a loudspeaker unit into vibrational meltdown. He does the same with LvB's Grosse Fuge, as well as in Haydn 88, Schumann 4 and Beethoven 4 finale, as well as much else, transporting the listener to an altogether ethereal, Dionysiac plane. That's why we endure the relatively primitive sonics of most of his recordings.

[mathias broucek]

Which recording of his own 2nd does it have? Studio, VPO Live or Stuttgart RSO? The second of those is scarily intense.

[Ergo 125]

Label

I did a little shopping around last week and bought the Wilhelm Furtwängler Legacy CD box set. It's early days yet and it will be several weeks before I've listen to all of it, but I don't regret buying it even for the few CDs I've already played. I wondered whether it might contain the "complete" Furtwängler, but this is far from the case. The compiler chose one version of each work and sometimes added excerpts from one or two other versions. This seems a reasonable compromise. So we have the Rome Ring cycle, with highlights from the La Scala version. We don't have samples of all 10 "Eroica" recordings - just one or two.
With such a wealth of great performances to look forward to, I wonder whether it is better to listen to the CDs in numerical order, starting with Bach, Handel and Gluck, going on to Beethoven, then Brahms, Bruckner... or to jump around more to provide the ear with greater variety. So far, I'v stuck to the first method, and have heard Furtwängler's Bach recordings for the very first time. It sounded strange hearing Brandenburg 5 with a piano, but in St Matthew Passion WF did use a harpsichord...

I have been interested in this set, but I can't find any promotional material which tells which label produced it. I recently bought a Furtwangler collection (Vol 3) assembled by Membran which had been very aggressively de-noised, leaving not a trace of any sort of ambience. In Bruckner, among others. Can you throw light on the set's origins?

[Bryn]

I have been interested in this set, but I can't find any promotional material which tells which label produced it. I recently bought a Furtwangler collection (Vol 3) assembled by Membran which had been very aggressively de-noised, leaving not a trace of any sort of ambience. In Bruckner, among others. Can you throw light on the set's origins?

The 107 disc set is also a Membran production. There are several cautiously enthusiastic customer reviews at amazon.co.uk, via whose marketplace it may be purchased, new, for £111.30 including p&p from Germany.

[Ergo 125]

Many thanks - Membran transfers used to be acceptable but recent ones have all been overcooked. Let's hope it was passing phase - but the bad ones will still be recycled, no doubt.

[mathias broucek]

My old car used to HATE Membran discs and would be reluctant to play or eject them. New car is tempramental with ALL discs...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've played all 107 discs on my car CD player with no problems.

Not that that proves anything.

[Karafan]

Wow, you have been applying yourself EA! Were the set mine, I would doubtless be sheepishly admitting to not having yet removed the cellophane!

[Roehre]

My old car used to HATE Membran discs and would be reluctant to play or eject them. New car is tempramental with ALL discs...

Makes sense: concentrated driving and concentrated listening don't mix