Search - Antonin Dvorak, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wilhelm Furtwängler :: Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts Dvorak & Mozart

A Good Buy for Furtwangler sleuths

02/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an interesting CD from a European label I had never heard of. The Dvorak New World Symphony is a riveting performance from a war-time recording, the origins of which have been in dispute. The CD liner notes say nothing about this, but opinion is divided on whether this is an authentic Furtwangler performance. You may read all about it in John Ardoin's Furtwangler Record. Suffice it to say that the piece is played with much rubato (tempo modulation), a distinguishing characteristic of Furtwangler's, and if you are used to the latter's recorded legacy, when you listen to this your mind will vascillate about whether THE MAN is at the podium or not--a fun musing in itself. My opinion is that the orchestra is too polished not to be the Berlin Philharmonic (The alternative theory being the Munich Philharmonic under Oswald Kabasta). Regardless, it is a powerful and moving interpretation with many nuances; one the like of which is not heard nowadays. There is no audience or surface noise, leading to the assumption that it was originally a radio broadcast recorded on magnetic tape. The transfer is good, with a decent bass to treble range. The 39th symphony of Mozart is the 1944 live Berlin performance which has been around since LP days. It is Mozart with rubato, heavy accents and crashing attacks, but as you would expect, a lovely and serene Andante--again, a Mozart performance that is anachronistic these days. The sound transfer here is louder than the Dvorak and harsh in the treble range. One would wish a little more engineering was done, but hey, for [the price], this is a steal for Furtwangler addicts."