Published Date:
28 June 2009
By AB
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Furtwängler Conducts Brahms
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IDIS 6554
Wilhelm Furtwängler has an unjustified reputation for conducting everything terribly slowly, but it is deliberation, rather than slowness, that is the feature of these two remastered live recordings from the Fifties.
Not that Furtwängler can't deal with Brahms' faster rhythms, as proven by his conducting of the Concerto in A minor for violin, cello and orchestra, with Willi Boskovsky and Emanuel Brabec as soloists with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1952. But thoughtfulness and consideration, as evidenced in this 1950 First Symphony performance, seem more of a starting point, especially in the almost doom-laden opening movement.
In remastering, the later recording fares better, and the whole isn't really suitable for casual listening during the journey to work; nevertheless, worth hearing for two high-class performances.
Download this: Concerto, Andante
The full article contains 148 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
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Last Updated:
26 June 2009 5:20 PM
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Source:
Scotland On Sunday
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Location:
Scotland
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Related Topics:
Classical reviews
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