Furtwängler News II !

There are some interviewes in which WF is speaking in German, but
the interviewer is speaking in French. I think it is somewhat strange.

1) TAHRA FURT 1014/15 (2CD-set)
2) The French Furtwaengler Society SWF 961/2 (2CD-set)

However, now there is a best answer to my question as follows:

------- Original Message --------
Subject: new catalogue?
Det: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 06:50:47 -0500
From: Myriam Scherchen <MyriamScherchen@compuserve.com>
To: Yen Jui-Yuan <d85010@ee.ntu.edu.tw>

I read that you doubted that Furtwängler's interview was a true
interview: it is a true interview but of course what happened is
that Furtwängler read his answers, that already had been put to him
before. This is why it sounds a bit unnatural in a way, but the
document is such as we received it from the radio and we would never
dream to do such a "montage" and pretend it to be a true interview.

Best regards and congratulations for your site.

Myriam Scherchen

------------------------------
<PS> Other original opinions to my question:

Subject: Re: [furt-l] Languages of WF's speaking
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 06:12:26 EST
From: MWKluge@aol.com
To: furt-l@amulation.com

This is the case, and the "interview" sounds to me as if Furtwangler's German
answers were spliced into a tape of the questions spoken in French.  In other
words, we are not hearing the live interview, which I imagine was conducted
in German.

Mark Kluge
------

Subject: Re: WF's speaking
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 14:40:34 +0100
From: "ODA,Kenji" <kenji.oda@uni-erfurt.de>
To: Yen Jui-Yuan <d85010@ee.ntu.edu.tw>

Dear Mr. Yen

It is not so strange, WF understood French, but he spoke
German better than French. And for French listener the
interviewer translated it into French.

Sincerely
ODA, Kenji

Universitaet Erfurt
E-mail:oda@asianhistory.org

Jena, 19.12.96

Dear Madams,  Sirs, & Wilhelm Furtwaengler Societies,

Friedrich-Schiller-University and the Jena Philharmonic will organize the 1st Wilhelm Furtwaengler
Days' in november 1997. Between 1927 and 1940 Furtwaengler visited Thuringia about 11 times and was
nominated honory citizen of Jena University on the occasion of the 7th German Brahms Festival in Jena
in 1929.

However, that is only an official justification for organizers and artists of the Furtwaengler Days' .
We feel united by the reverence to the personality of Wilhelm Furtwaengler in all his creative
appearence. Most famous now as before Furtwaengler is the extraordinary conductor, to whose master
nothing can be added.

Thanks to your activities, a large number of recordings is available, which show the perfection of
his interpretative skills.

We would especially like to point out Furtwaengler the composer. There will soon be an opportunity to
listen to some of his most important works within a few days. They represent a monumentally dramatic
foundation, an independent sound, whose roots are without difficulty to recognise in german
romanticism an inexhaustible richness of emotion and colours of character. They belong to the most
important works of music in the 20th century.

Last but not least , Furtwaengler, the writer and theorist is still of immediate interest and affects
even those people who do not deal with music. We want to analyse this field of his work and give the
audience an understanding in a suitable way.

We should be very grateful if you could participate with lectures, a sales exhibition or an
information centre about your society. We should of course be most grateful, if you suggested new
ideas. We are planning to establish Furtwaengler archive at Friedrich Schiller University and should
be glad if you could support us by publications and recordings from your society.

Hoping to hear from you soon and with kind regards

Your sincerely

Norbert Kleekamp
Sebastian Krahnert
Friedrich Schiller University

(Translation from a German letter on defunct website page by Yen Jui-Yuan, Mar. 25, 1997.)

Program I.

Program II.

 

Wilhelm Furtwangler came to Thuringia 11 times between 1927 and 1940 - either

to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic or to perform chamber music. He became an
honorary member of Jena University on the occasion of the 7th German Brahms
Festival in Jena in 1929. The city of Jena is therefore the ideal venue for theist
Wilhelm Furtwingler Days, which will be held here from November 6th to 9th,
1997.

Both organizers and performers will pay tribute to Wilhelm Furwangler as a
person whose creativity found expression in many ways. Even forty years after his
death, Furtwangler is particularly known as an outstanding conductor, whose many
recordings demonstrate his unrivaled mastery in spite of the shortcomings of the
record medium and technology.

However, the 1st Wilhelm Furtwangler Days are designed to honour Furwangler
above all as a composer. Furwangler always gave priority to composing. He was
therefore able to derive his unique interpretative skills from what he knew about
the rules governing the creative process of composing.

His works reveal a monumental and dramatic structure, an individual musical
language based on German romanticism, and an enormous variety of emotion and
character. They are amongst the most important symphonic works ever written in
this century. Most of Furtwlngler's compositions will be performed in Thuringia
for the first time; some of his earlier works will have their world premiere.
Furthermore, internationally renowned musicologists, composers, musicians and
experts from other fields wilt participate at a symposium to discuss the variety,
problematic nature and intellectual dimension of Furtwangler '5 creative heritage.
Friedrich Schiller University, the Jena Philharmonic and the city of Jena are
looking forward to your visit

Friedrich Schiller University
1st FURTWAENGLER-DAYS IN JENA, GERMANY, 6-9 Nov., 1997.

(Text from a defunct German website page of 1997 by Yen Jui-Yuan, Jan. 2001.)

[News I] (From Japanese magazine, June 1996. Translation

by Wen-Li Kuo, Taiwan, Jan, 2001.)

A new testing disc of WF was found, a report informed
by Japanese WF researcher Mr. Kousuke Hiyama as below:

On Apr. 9, 1995, in Frankfurt's auction of historic
records, there was a 78 rpm 25cm metal disc,
both sides were orchestra version of Brahms
Hungarian dance No.1, conducted by Furt. SP's
both sides' white label paper became yellow
due to old age, printed a date of 1929.8.12,
followed by a hand-writing: "Brahms, Ungarisher
Tanz, No.1, Furtwaengler". The SP Matrix
number is 1648BHI, inside printed as 1648 1/2 BHI,
the inner circular area printed "Mechan, Copt. 1929"

It is ono question that this is DG's testing press.
(judged from label, number, printed text). As far
as known, Furt's pre-war recording of this piece was
DG's 1930 recording: 2580 1/2 BH only. If this
newly-found disc was proved to be true, it must
be recorded in one year previously but never released.

[News II] (by Yen Jui-Yuan)

The discogapher Michael H. Gray wrote in Japanese
magazine "Classics Press" (Summer, 2000) :

[BPO Discography Part I, 1913-1945] (pp. 49~)

1929 Aug. 12 Hochschule fur Musik, Berlin
(Grammophone) W. Furtwaengler (cond.)
BRAHMS Hungrian Dance No.1
UNISSED (1948/49 BHI)
(pp. 63)