Bruckner 7 and Furtwängler

[Barbirollians]

Karafan's thread prompts me to pose a question . I have only his account of the Seventh in Cairo - a rather boxy recording indeed. Is there a better version out there of Furtwangler conducting this ?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There's a Rome recording from the same tour (which I haven't heard, but which others have said has the same problems with recorded sound)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Furtwangler-Rome-Bruckner-Symphony-Berlin/dp/B0007ULMXC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390234212&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=bruckner+7%2C+furtwangler%2C+emi

and a 1949 version from EMI, available in two pressings:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruckner-Symphony-No-1949-recording/dp/B001T4AKDI/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390234212&sr=1-3&keywords=bruckner+7%2C+furtwangler%2C+emi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruckner-Symphonies-Vol-1-No-Scherzi/dp/B000006DE7/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390234212&sr=1-2&keywords=bruckner+7%2C+furtwangler%2C+emi

... the latter a strange compilation of very early recordings of movements from the Brukner symphonies. There is, apparently, a disc of the 1949 performance from URANIA that has better sound, but whither on the aether ...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The April 1951 BPO performance is colossal.

[Barbirollians]

The April 1951 BPO performance is colossal.

That's the Cairo one isn't it ? Rome was May .

Don't get me wrong it is indeed a fine performance but a very dull recording.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That's the Cairo one isn't it ? Rome was May .

Don't get me wrong it is indeed a fine performance but a very dull recording.

Sorry, yes. I've checked and it's one and the same.

[HighlandDougie]

This is the Electrola/EMI version 1949, re-mastered by Andrew Rose:

http://www.pristineclassical.com/pasc259.html

I can confirm that the sound of the 1 May 1951 recording (Music & Arts) strains one's tolerance. As it says on the back of the CD, "Like many other Italian Radio recordings of the period, this performance was preserved on acetate discs, rather than on tape. The discs had limited fidelity, surface noise, distortion and dynamic compression. Some of these defects could not be eliminated from the present release. The CD is, therefore, not recommended to listeners primarily interested in high fidelity sound". Fine performance but ....

[Karafan]

Barbirollians - I think Andrew Rose's XR remastering of the 1949 7th is definitely the way to go - he does tremendous work and has struck gold again with his sensitive and careful restoration of this masterpiece, revealing a WF reading in all its febrile brilliance.

[richardfinegold]

Karafan's thread prompts me to pose a question . I have only his account of the Seventh in Cairo - a rather boxy recording indeed. Is there a better version out there of Furtwangler conducting this ?

In the play and movie about the post war Furtwangler "deNazification" investigation, the adagio from 7 as conducted by WF is played at the end. In the story, the Nazi government announced Hitler's death as this recording played in the background. If that is a historically correct item (a big if), then that would imply that there must have been a wF Bruckner/7 made before 1945.

[Barbirollians]

In the play and movie about the post war Furtwangler "deNazification" investigation, the adagio from 7 as conducted by WF is played at the end. In the story, the Nazi government announced Hitler's death as this recording played in the background. If that is a historically correct item (a big if), then that would imply that there must have been a wF Bruckner/7 made before 1945.

There is an Adagio from 1942 but that is all that is preserved - can be found on a Naxos disc . Thanks for those letting me know about the Pristine remastering Karafan et al.

[Barbirollians]

Karafan - is that the ambient stereo version . I am not sure I like the sound of that . If one orders the CD which version is that ?

[jayne lee wilson]

Karafan - is that the ambient stereo version . I am not sure I like the sound of that . If one orders the CD which version is that ?

Bb - if you click on "order CD" you'll then see "options" in a dropdown. Then you can choose XR or not. I don't know this recording, but on past experience Rose's "ambient" treatments are sensitively handled, just adding a subtle space and depth to the sound. Somewhere on that vast and informative site you can compare samples to hear its effect.

[PJPJ]

Bb - if you click on "order CD" you'll then see "options" in a dropdown. Then you can choose XR or not. I don't know this recording, but on past experience Rose's "ambient" treatments are sensitively handled, just adding a subtle space and depth to the sound. Somewhere on that vast and informative site you can compare samples to hear its effect.

Ambient stereo - what is it? And a link on the page to a free download for testing this out. Scroll down to "So how does it actually sound?"

[slarty]

This recording/ performance sounds much better than either Cairo or Rome, although it is from two years earlier.
The pristine XR treatment is fine, non intrusive, it just seems to open it up a little. I have had this recording, man and boy, including the horrible Electrola LPs in electronic stereo issued in the 70s and I would say that Andrew Rose's Pristine issue is the best yet.
As for WFs interpretation, the 1949 performance is better than either of the tour performances. The orchestra sounded a little tired in places and WFs problems with deafness were not yet hindering his performances. This is his best work in this symphony.
The 1942 Telefunken slow movement was a test recording of that movement only - made on tape and not shellac discs.

[BBMmk2]

I am very surprised that DG havn't recorded this? Or was WF an EMI artist?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I am very surprised that DG havn't recorded this? Or was WF an EMI artist?

The Cairo recording is a DG production. After the War, Furtwangler recorded for DG, EMI and DECCA.