Two purchases: Wilhelm Furtwängler’s ‘48-’52 cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies, and the Annie Fischer Artist Profile, both on EMI.
First, the Beethoven. Great stuff, if inconsistent. I cannot proclaim this the greatest cycle, but I can praise certain performances. The 1st, 6th, and 9th are the highlights of the cycle. The 1st and 6th are early ‘50s recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic and the 9th is the 1951 Bayreuth performance. They are all truly inspired. This version of the 1st is the best I have heard. It is sufficiently quick and not too dramatic; it is just right. And the sound is simply amazing for its age. I’ve heard stereo recordings from the late 60s that don’t sound as good.
The 9th, too, is incredible. It is the best performance I have heard (out of about eight or so). There is an intensity to the performance that I have not heard on any other version. And, oh, the Adagio! Generally this is one of those movements where I lose a sense of time, and that was most certainly the case here. But even more than that, I lost my sense of place. Perhaps I wax too poetic, but through the third movement the performance is heavenly. The finale is wonderful, too, but the choral parts, alas, are too blurred too be effective. The solo turns are fine, but the full-scale forces just lack a little something. There are other excellent and great versions of this work, not least Toscanini’s NBC version and Böhm’s VPO version, but this is first among equals, so to write.
And then there’s the 6th. This is by far the best version of the 6th I have heard. Every movement is perfectly executed. It is certainly slower than other versions, and it is the least programmatic version I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. The dramatic intensity is high indeed. And the sound is the best in the set. If you love Beethoven, and you love this work, buy this disc – it’s available separately. The next best version I have heard is Toscanini’s, and it’s a relatively distant second.
The rest of the set ranges from excellent to disappointing. The 3rd is definitely an outstanding performance, though I think that Böhm did it better, and there are other equally good version available. Don’t get me wrong, though: this is a great performance. The 7th is excellent. The tempos are just right: not too fast and not too slow. The sound is less than perfect, but it is worth hearing. My impression of the 8th is much the same. Unfortunately, the sound of the Stockholm performance is less than exemplary. The 4th is excellent but not especially inspiring, but then, this is not my favorite symphony by Beethoven. The 2nd is a decent performance, but the sound is atrocious. This should be farmed out to Testament. I just couldn’t get into it through the 78 haze and crackles.
That leaves the 5th. Sad to say, this was the biggest disappointment of the set. It is way too slow. There is intensity and energy there but it just does not sound right. At times, it is even slower than Bruno Walter’s version with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. The beginning of the finale, in particular, is just too slow for it’s own good. You can feel the emotional intensity Furtwängler exacts from the players, but as a whole, it’s just not convincing enough. There are a number of better versions out there. Karajan (early ‘60s version), Böhm, Kleiber (if you can stand the brightness); all are better. And then there’s Hogwood’s version with the AAM. Yes, a period version. This is actually my favorite. It’s the fastest version I’ve heard yet it maintains the appropriate intensity. Texturally it’s lighter than big-band versions, but it pushes all the right buttons.
My experience with this set does make me want to seek out other Furtwängler-led performances, especially live versions reissued by the various historical labels. I think it does offer a glimpse at his approach to the symphonies, so I know, for instance, that I will seek out the 3rd, 6th, and 9th in particular. I do recommend the set generally for those who haven’t experienced these performances. And since the discs are available individually, one can cherry pick if desired.
I snagged the Annie Fischer set used, and all I can write is that it is a quite good, if uneven set. It has some Schubert, Schumann, Bartok, and Beethoven. Not surprisingly, the Beethoven makes the set. The Moonlight, Pathetique, and Op. 111 sonatas are all incredibly wonderful. The fingering in the finale of the Moonlight is the clearest, most articulate I have heard. Op 111 is profound. Looks like I’ll have to investigate her last set on Hungaroton. The two Schubert impromptus are excellent, although Uchida does them better (and, Lipatti, too, on the two he recorded). The Bartok Third Piano Concerto is likewise excellent, though Igor Markevitch’s conducting is more intriguing than Fischer’s playing. It will not supplant either Anda’s or Schiff’s version for me. The Schumann is good if not particularly remarkable. If I hadn’t recently purchased the Kempff set of Schumann’s work, I would have probably been more impressed.
