# Wilhelm Furtwangler's Recording Legacy - Comprehensive Collection?



## Lord Lance

Any new Furtwangler recordings are a rarity and an occasion for celebration rather than the norm. Keeping that in mind and the vast number of box sets of Furtwangler released, I was wondering:

To have all known records of Furtwangler, would the following box sets suffice?:

View attachment 64128


View attachment 64129


If not, then what would be missed out?

Any suggested started place to explore the Grandmaster's recordings? Pre-WWII? WWII? Post-WWII?


----------



## Pip

These two box sets cover just about everything.
The Audite is particularly important as it issues for the first time in one box all of WF's RIAS Broadcast recordings AND under licence using the original Master Tapes. I have had all the recordings in this set for a long time, but never in such good sound.
These are all Post-War Furtwängler and give as good an impression of his art as can be.
The BIG box has just about everything in it. I don't have it, but I have everything that is in it.
You cannot go wrong with these.
Once you have begun to wade through it all, I would get a Furtwängler discography and see just what is missing and then decide if you think it neccessary to hunt down further issues.
If you want a free pdf of a slightly out of date discography and concertography then PM me.


----------



## Marschallin Blair

I know_ I'm_ getting this set. Thank you, Lord Lance- and thank you Pip for the addenda.


----------



## Pip

The two two sets mentioned by Lord Lance are enough to get anyone started properly.
There is also a very good EMI box set which is also great value.















This include virtually all of WF's commercial recordings for HMV(Electrola) and is also a very important part of any study of the man's art.
The RIAS (Audite) box consists of only live concerts given in Berlin by Furtwängler and the BPO and recorded by the then RIAS Radio station. (RIAS - Radio in the American Sector). This is one of the most significant releases of Furtwängler in the whole of the CD era. It supercedes so many of the pirated issues.
You will no doubt find that one or two of the RIAS discs are doubled in the big box, and there will be quite a difference of quality between them.
The Company that issued this monster box has just taken everything they could find in the public domain and also hiked quite a few other discs from other sources.


----------



## Lord Lance

Pip said:


> The two two sets mentioned by Lord Lance are enough to get anyone started properly.
> There is also a very good EMI box set which is also great value.
> 
> View attachment 64141
> View attachment 64142
> 
> 
> This include virtually all of WF's commercial recordings for HMV(Electrola) and is also a very important part of any study of the man's art.
> The RIAS (Audite) box consists of only live concerts given in Berlin by Furtwängler and the BPO and recorded by the then RIAS Radio station. (RIAS - Radio in the American Sector). This is one of the most significant releases of Furtwängler in the whole of the CD era. It supercedes so many of the pirated issues.
> You will no doubt find that one or two of the RIAS discs are doubled in the big box, and there will be quite a difference of quality between them.
> The Company that issued this monster box has just taken everything they could find in the public domain and also hiked quite a few other discs from other sources.


Would you be willing to share the EMI recordings, Pipster?


----------



## Pip

Lord Lance said:


> Would you be willing to share the EMI recordings, Pipster?


No, I am afraid that you will have to buy them like everyone else.


----------



## Albert7

The Furtwangler EMI box set is at my local libary. Sweet, I need to check those out .


----------



## Albert7

Pip said:


> No, I am afraid that you will have to buy them like everyone else.


I think that the EMI box set is out of print.


----------



## bigshot

Sorry, but those boxes don't cover everything. The Membran box just picks *one* recording of each work Furtwangler recorded. Every performance was unique, so although the specific performances are great, they aren't *everything*.


----------



## Lord Lance

bigshot said:


> Sorry, but those boxes don't cover everything. The Membran box just picks *one* recording of each work Furtwangler recorded. Every performance was unique, so although the specific performances are great, they aren't *everything*.


Why the emphasis on _everything_? I didn't think it was possible for all the recordings to be released in one huge 300 disc set either.


----------



## Headphone Hermit

^^^ I guess it is because you wrote: "To have all known records of Furtwangler" in the OP 

It suggests that you want every recording of every piece he conducted, even if it means multiple copies of the same work recorded at different times .... and I suspect this will result in an enormous number of discs as he did multiple studio recordings of many pieces plus there are many authorised (and unauthorised) radio and concert recordings available out there. 

In short, it would be impossible to get one single set that includes 'all known records'. :tiphat:


----------



## Lord Lance

Headphone Hermit said:


> ^^^ I guess it is because you wrote: "To have all known records of Furtwangler" in the OP
> 
> It suggests that you want every recording of every piece he conducted, even if it means multiple copies of the same work recorded at different times .... and I suspect this will result in an enormous number of discs as he did multiple studio recordings of many pieces plus there are many authorised (and unauthorised) radio and concert recordings available out there.
> 
> In short, it would be impossible to get one single set that includes 'all known records'. :tiphat:


Thought as much. Oh well. I will enjoy myself listening to the Membran and RIAS sets. They should last for a month at least.


----------



## phlrdfd

Furtwangler is my favorite conductor, but with something like 10-12 live recordings available of some of the Beethoven symphonies, I decided long ago to find the two or three best of each symphony and stick with those. 
Having said that, I did pick up that Membran set after reading that the transfers are a step up from what had previously been available. To pick out one performance from that set, the Eroica from Dec. 8, 1952 has been one of my very favorite Furtwangler performances and my favorite Eroica recording (by anyone) for many years.

Anyone looking to explore Furtwangler should also look for a set of his wartime Beethoven. I have the Music & Arts set. The Music & Arts Brahms symphony cycle, which is a mix of wartime and post-war performances is another great set. I definitely prefer it to the EMI Brahms cycle.


----------



## Albert7

I just got the Furtwangler EMI box set from the library. 21 discs of pure listening soon.


----------



## Lord Lance

albertfallickwang said:


> I just got the Furtwangler EMI box set from the library. 21 discs of pure listening soon.


You should do a marathon of that before your Feldman Masochistic Run [FMR]. FMR will be more fun though.


----------



## Albert7

Lord Lance said:


> You should do a marathon of that before your Feldman Masochistic Run [FMR]. FMR will be more fun though.


hahahahaha indeed.


----------

