Furtwangler Conducts Strauss

On this CD:

1. Don Juan, tone poem for orchestra, Op. 20
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler

2. Sinfonia Domestica for orchestra, Op. 53
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler

Tracks:

II: Vltava (The River Moldau)
Don Juan Op.20
Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche Op.28
Tod Und Verklarung Op.24

Customer Reviews:

Furtwangler's Strauss is very good but has been surpassed.......2006-01-08

Condcutors even of the greatest stature have to be lucky for their interpretations to survive. Furtwangler has been without challenge for fifty years in Beethove, Brahms, and Wagner, but his Strauss is another matter. The rise of Karajan and the advent of stereo, which brings out the briliance of Strauss's orchestrations, put these recordings in the shade.

The mono sonics from 1950 and 1954 are certainly good for their time, and we hear the Vienna Phil. naturally and in detail. But Furtwangler strikes me as too plain-faced in Till Eulenspiegel, which is short on wit and sheer vibrancy. The Don Juan, also rather measured and serious, is more involving, however, and ranks among his best Strauss performances. Smetana's Moldau emerges as a fairly standard though well marshalled reading; it's also in the best sound by a small bit.

Frankly, my favortie here is the Death and Transfiguration, set down on 78s in 1950. The work can come off as gloomy shlock, with its depiciton of a sick room and an invalid's struggle to die at peace. Furtwangler is both serious and intense, erasing any hint of junkiness. I was thoroughly convinced, which is not quite true for the other items in this collection. The most I can muster is that this is Furtwangler's best-recorded Strauss by far and a good sample of how he approached the composer's music.

Fantastic Furtwangler.......2004-05-23

EMI's latest reissue creation is the "Great Artists of the Century" series, and this title featuring conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler is one of the best of the initial 25 offerings. Famous for his association with the Berlin Philharmonic, Furtwangler also made many memorable recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic. The majority of Furtwangler's Vienna recordings for EMI are avialable on import CDs in the "References" series, but these four selections are not included in those sets and were in desparate need of reissue. The accounts of Smetana's "Ma Vlast" (1951) and Strauss' "Death and Transfiguration" (1950) are wonderful, but the real gems are the two recordings made in March 1954, the year of Furtwangler's death, "Don Juan" and "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks." Some of the titles in this series suffer because of the lackluster material that was selected to represent a given artist (see my reviews of Karajan and Menuhin discs in particular). However after listening to this disc, even a novice could determine that Furtwangler was indeed a "Great Artist of the Century."

Furtwangler Conducts Strauss: Don Juan; Till Eulenspiegel; Four Songs (Peter Anders, tenor); Death & Transfiguration

Average customer rating:

Furtwangler Conducts Strauss: Don Juan; Till Eulenspiegel; Four Songs (Peter Anders, tenor); Death & Transfiguration

Manufacturer: Music & Arts Programs of America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000006KGL
Release Date: 1994-08-23

Furtwängler Conducts Strauss, Hindemith & Schubert

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Furtwängler Conducts Strauss, Hindemith & Schubert

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Furtwängler Conducts Sibelius, Strauss, Ravel

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Furtwängler Conducts Sibelius, Strauss, Ravel

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E4F1
Release Date: 1989-09-27

Wilhelm Furtwängler Conducts Weber, Brahms, Wagner

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Wilhelm Furtwängler Conducts Weber, Brahms, Wagner

Manufacturer: Tahra
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000G5SV
Release Date: 1954-01-01

Wilhelm Furtwängler Conducts Concert Performances of Unusual Repertoire

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Wilhelm Furtwängler Conducts Concert Performances of Unusual Repertoire

Manufacturer: Music & Arts Program
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD