jmc's classics
I have a Facebook page. I am not in to it. However I found a link to an article in the New Yorker Magazine about Willhelm Furtwangler newyorker.com
Furtwangler(1886-1954) was a German conductor. He was the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1922-1945 and again from 1952-1954. He was one of Hitler's favorite conductors. There is a lot of controversy about him. I have a CD of him conducting Bach's St. Matthew's Passion. He was also a composer. He wrote several symphonies. His works are not as known. I am not familiar with his music. I can't type the article out. Evidently, some of his recordings he made the war years are being released on CD. In those days many orchestras played on the radio. TV was just getting started. It would not take off until after the war. It is an interesting article. It mainly talks about the recent release of the box set of CDs of his wartime recordings. It must also be noted that the recording technology at that time is primitive compared to what we have today. If you listen to older recordings you will know the difference. I have heard some of his other recordings. Check it out. Also, as I have mentioned before many of the artisans of that period had to tow the like and cooperate with the government if not they would be in trouble. That was the same in the communist countries. He was the most important conductor to have remained in Germany during the third Reich years. Evidence shows that he was not an Anti-Semite. He was also the principal conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1922-26. Also he served as a guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. He first considered himself a composer and started conductiong to conduct his own works. His father was Adolph Furtwengler (1853-1907)who was a famous German archaeologist. The article is very interesting.
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