For anyone interested, I just came upon this High Definition Tape Transfers website. The reviews are good and there are a fair number of classical and jazz recordings available. Here's the Furtwängler page. https://www.highdeftapetransfers.ca/collections/wilhelm-furtwangler-collection
Who is your Favorite Historical Conductor?
For discussion purposes I am limiting this to
1) Wilhelm Furtwangler
2) Arturo Toscanini
3) Bruno Walter
feel free to introduce others. I will be arbitrary and cut off Conductors who worked after the death of Leonard Bernstein.
Furtwangler and Toscanini died just short of the onset of the stereo era. They were however recorded with the best technology of the times, and the work of restoration technology of today has done wonders. Walter recorded until 1962 but perhaps his best work was done in the mono era.
Walter was renowned for his “humanity” Furtwangler for his near mystical ability to rechannel German/Austrian music, and Toscanini for his finely chiseled intensity
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@lowrider57 They're located in Canada so I'd suspect they'd been obligated to pay out royalties. However copyright laws only extend to about fifty years (at least with artwork). As far as DG recordings, I would be a skeptic but who knows? It always seemed odd to me that the Archive Production (a division of DG) pressings were superior to the DG pressings. I'm looking at buying a DSD download of Bill Evans' 'Waltz for Debbie" and if I like that, then possibly Szell/Strauss. If you order something, then please share your opinion of the quality. You can always reach me direct too. Cheers. |
Yes, the subject of Furtwangler’s involvement with the Nazis has been examined thoroughly and could be a thread in itself. Do you remember The Sound Of Music and how the Von Trapp family escapes Austria after the Anschlus? The real story of their escape is less prosaic but it appears as if the book for the Play/Movie borrowed a few details from Furtwangler’s bio. |
I listened to Pristine Audio’s transfer of the wartime Furtwangler Brahms 4 last night. I think it may be from the same source as Music and Arts, as their is a fair amount of noise, like a generator hum, at the beginning that goes away about two minutes in. I’m guessing the first acetate must of have been compromised but the rest were better. The Germans were experimenting with the tape but I don’t know the origin of this recording and Pristine, contrary to their usual practice, doesn’t mention the original source. |
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