Wilhelm Furtwängler, Berliner Philharmoniker – Complete Studio Recordings On DG 1951-1953

Franz Schubert – Symphony No. 9 ‘Great’, D 944

 

A1 – Andante – Allegro ma non-troppo – Più moto – 14:46

A2 – Andante Con Moto – 17:12

B1 – Scherzo. Allegro Vivace – 11:17

B2 – Finale. Allegro Vivace – 11:41

 

Robert Schumann – Symphony No. 4, Op. 120

 

C1 – Andante Con Moto – Allegro di Molto – 11:52

C2 – Romanza: Andante – 5:21

C3 – Scherzo. Presto – 5:56

C4 – Largo – Finale: Allegro Vivace – 7:42

 

Joseph Haydn – Symphony No. 88, Hob. I:88

 

D1 – Adagio – Allegro – 6:52

D2 – Largo – 6:18

D3 – Menuetto: Allegretto – 4:24

D4 – Finale. Allegro Con Spirito – 3:40

 

Wilhelm Furtwängler – Symphony No. 2

 

E1 – Assai Moderato – Allmählich Belebend (bis Allegro) – Von Hier Ab Festes Tempo (Allegro) – 24:31

F1 – Andante Semplice (Tranquillo) – 12:37

G1 – Un Poco Moderato – Più Allegro – Più Moderato – Allegro – Moderato – Allegro – 16:22

H1 – Langsam – Moderato Andante – Allegro Molto – Moderato – Langsam – Moderato – Presto – 28:42

 

Limited Edition: 2000

 

Only four recordings were made by star conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler and "his" Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon in the post-war era. All of them were works from the conductor’s core repertoire and recordings that became legendary: Schubert’s "Great" C major Symphony (No. 9), Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, the Haydn Symphony No. 88 and the Maestro’s own Symphony No. 2. All four recordings, made between 1951 and 1953, bear witness to Furtwängler’s passionate approach to this music and to his conducting peculiarities, such as the famous and incomparable legato bows that distinguished him. Even today, almost seven decades later, the recordings have lost none of their fascination. Deutsche Grammophon is now reissuing them in a limited and numbered vinyl deluxe edition (4 LP). All records have been made from masters of the original tapes as 180 g pressings and each comes with its own sleeve modelled on the original record sleeves. As a bonus, the box contains facsimiles of the original recording logs.