Wilhelm Furtwangler - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 'Choral' - Japan CD

Credits:

Wilhelm Furtwangler

Description:

Furtwängler and the VPO’s Ninth Symphony: Though Incomplete, Is This a New Discovery? Rare Tape Reissue Series ■From the Producer The audio source for this disc comes from the personal collection (two tracks, 19-centimeter open-reel tape) of Friedhelm Schöning (1936–2021), founder of the German Furtwängler Society. From this collection, we have previously released Beethoven’s “Eroica” (GS-2296), Schubert’s “The Great” (GS-2253–54), Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 (GS-2227), Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 (GS-2133), Weber’s complete opera *Der Freischütz* (GS-2225/6), among others. This recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was originally part of that collection, but due to two gaps in the tape, it was deemed unfit for CD release and had been shelved. The background of this Ninth Symphony is as follows. On January 23, 1953, Furtwängler collapsed during a performance of the Ninth with the Vienna Philharmonic, shocking both the audience and the performers. Otto Strasser (concertmaster of the second violins) reportedly realized that “Furtwängler’s time with us was drawing to a close.” Consequently, the orchestra approached the replacement performance of the Ninth Symphony in May of that same year with a special sense of purpose, resulting in a performance brimming with deep emotion and majestic beauty. It also turned out to be his final performance of the Ninth with the Vienna Philharmonic. The performances of the Ninth in May 1953 took place on the 29th, 30th, and 31st (with two performances on the 31st only), for a total of four performances. Currently, two live recordings—one from the 30th and one from the 31st—are known to exist, but the exact dates have yet to be determined. Furthermore, the fact that the timpani playing style differed between performances—despite them being held just one day apart—has sparked debate. Furthermore, the information remains confusing: some sources claim that Ilmgard Seefeldt sang in both performances on the 31st, while others state that Hilde Zadek sang the matinee and Seefeldt the evening performance—or conversely, that Seefeldt sang the matinee and Zadek the evening performance. I listened to this incomplete tape for the first time in a long while, and there is no doubt that it is a moving recording of the Ninth. However, while it seems identical to existing recordings, I also get the impression that it is different. Since the original owner has passed away, there is now no way to trace the tape’s provenance. Furthermore, the relationship between the conflicting information and this tape remains unclear. I have therefore concluded that it would be best to simply release it and solicit a wide range of opinions. To reiterate, the missing sections are measures 23–26 of the first movement and measures 1–11 of the third movement. The overall sound quality is neither particularly good nor extremely poor—it’s typical for its era—but the fourth movement contains some interference. (Naoya Hirabayashi) GRANDSLAM