Wilhelm Furtwangler - The Legacy (2010)

Conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler already enjoyed a worldwide legendary standing during his lifetime - he was considered the German conductor and performances were greeted with rapturous applause. Today, more than 50 years after his death, Wilhelm Furtwangler is still an icon and his work has become an integral part ofthe music scene.
But just what makes up this fascination? And what makes his recordings so special? This edition provides the answers.
These 107 CDs contain all the works Furtwangler ever recorded for release on record - and the "live" recordings he made for radio broadcast. In the case of different versions of the same work having been produced (for example there are 12 recordings of Beethoven's Eroica!.0 the best, most beautiful, or the most exciting interpretations have been chosen for this edition. In addition the numerous bonus CDs and tracks present excerpts taken from alternative recordings.
From his very first recording (Weber's Freischiitz Overture, 1928) to his very last (Wagner's Valkyrie, 1954), this edition features productions of all the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies, the complete Rome recording of Wagner's Ring, recordings of the famous symphonies composed by Schubert, Schumann, Bruckner and Mozart, highlights taken from the Salzburg recordings of Don Giovanni, Magic Flute and Figaro, a live Bayreuth recording of Mastersingers etc. etc. etc.
The edition has been complemented by recordings of rehearsals and interviews. In addition the recording of the famous Salzburg song recital in 1953 reflects on the pianist Wilhelm Furtwangler as accompanist to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Reviews: It seems counter-intuitive that the legacy of Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954) should keep growing more than half of century after his death. Even though he was one of the most revered conductors in the second quarter of the 20th Century, he disliked recordings and left few studio recordings. He has no disciple, found no school and produced no student. Much too often his name was (unjustly) linked to the Third Reich. In spite of these, Furtwängler continues to give electrifying experiences to those who hear him the first time from dimly recorded performances. He continues to exert a magnetic, mystic, even mythic pull on the countless music lovers who were born many years after his death. Not only that, many of the greatest musicians, including Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Karl Böhm, Alfred Brendel, Maria Callas etc., revered him as the best, the ideal, the unique. Why?

Anyone who has the ears for historical recordings can find her/his answers in this box. T. Fischer has listed the contents and made some comparisons of this transfer with others. Here I will provide only a few additional remarks.

1. This box is very well-organized. The big box houses 11 small boxes, and each small box can easily fit the usual CD shelves. This design makes the individual CDs easily accessible.

2. Many of the transfers are good. For individual performances, one can often find superior transfers, like those from Gebhardt, Naxos Historical, Music & Arts, etc.. However, the transfers are often above average and in some cases superior to the ones I own.

3. The selection is good, and covers all important areas of Furtwängler's legacy. In fact, the editors in Membran claimed to capture all the works of which Furtwängler made recordings.(*) Even if you already have more than half of the box, as I do, it is still worth acquiring this box, as many releases are long out of print and/or never available (in the U.S.).

This will not be the end of your Furtwängler collection. Most likely it's the beginning, as some of his best is not to be found in this box (and the Furtwängler experience can be addictive!) However, at merely $1 per CD, there is really no reason not to get this box before it becomes unavailable.

Strongly recommended.

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"Well, you see what we are reduced to. We are now in a time when a S**** is considered a master. How small he was next to Furtwängler. …. To me, he [Furtwängler] was Beethoven."

– Maria Callas, after a radio performance of Beethoven's 8th symphony conducted by renowned G.S..
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(*) Indeed, the editors states that "This box thus represents the state of knowledge in 2010. If any of our valued listeners know of recordings of pieces not included in this edition, we would be grateful for details of them." See p.43 of the notes.

Tracklisting:

BOX 1 - Baroque and pre-Classical Period

CD 1 - Bach
- Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/22/1948
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 BWV 1050 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/31/1950
SOUND: Mostly good for age, but Brandenburg No. 5 (with Furtwängler on piano) is weaker.

CD 2-4 - Bach
St. Matthew Passion - Elisabeth Grümmer, Marga Höffgen, Anton Dermota, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Otto Edelmann, - Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Singverein, Vienna Boys' Choir 04/14-17/1954
SOUND: OK for age but there are recordings available with much less distortion. This one isn't a top performer.

CD 5
- Händel - Concerto grosso in D major Op. 6 no. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/22/1954
- Händel - Concerto grosso in D minor op. 6 no. 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/19/1949
- Gluck - Alceste: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942
- Gluck - Iphigénie en Aulide: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/08/1954
- JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 BWV 1048 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 1930
- JS Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 BWV 1068: Air - Berlin Philharmonic 1929
SOUND: All very good for age, but note the Gluck Alceste is from 1942 and the Bach excerpts from 1929-30.

CD 6-7 - Gluck
- Orfeo ed Euridice - Fedora Barbieri, Hilde Güden, Magda Gabory, Chorus & Orchestra of Milan Scala 04/07/1951
SOUND: Not a great transfer, high end very muted by noise control mastering but the constant hiss is still fairly strong.

BOX 2 - Beethoven

CD 8-12 - Symphonies No. 1-9
- Symphony No. 1 - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - 07/13/1950
- Symphony No. 2 - Vienna Philharmonic 10/03/1948
- Symphony No. 3 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/26-27/1952
- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/01-03/1952
- Symphony No. 5 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947
- Symphony No. 6 - Vienna Philharmonic 11/24-25/1952
- Symphony No. 7 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18-19/1950
- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/14/1953
- Symphony No. 9 - Bayreuth Festspiel Orchestra 06/29/1951
SOUND: Symphonies 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 are all the same performances featured on the "Great EMI Recordings" set. In most cases I found the sound of the Membran version to be at least as good as the EMI, although I'd give a slight edge to EMI on Symphonies 2 and 7. Symphony 1 has some record needle noise and distortion, and Symphony 5 is a live recording with middling sound. Symphony 8 has fine sound.

CD 13
- Egmont Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/27/1947
- Coriolan Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 10/29/1951
- Leonore II Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 10/18/1949
- Große Fuge Op. 133 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1954
- Cavatina from String Quartet Op. 130 (Version for String Orchestra) - Berlin Philharmonic 1940
SOUND: Good all around, though a bit worse on the final track.

CD 14
- Piano Concerto No. 1 - Adrian Aeschbacher, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 10/27/1947
- Piano Concerto No. 4 - Conrad Hansen, Berlin Philharmonic 12/03/1943
SOUND: Decent, muted on the high end probably due to noise control.

CD 15
- Piano Concerto No. 5 - Edwin Fischer, Philharmonia Orchestra 02/19-20/1951
SOUND: Better and brighter than the identical performance on the EMI set.

CD 16
- Violin Concerto - Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Berlin Philharmonic 05/18/1953
- Romance for Violin and Orchestra Nos. 1-2 - Yehudi Menuhin, Philharmonia Orchestra 04/09/1953
SOUND: Generally very good, a few incidents of noise. I like that they included the Schneiderhan performance, which of course features the Schneiderhan cadenzas.

CD 17-18
- Fidelio - Martha Mödl, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 10/13-17/1953
SOUND: About the same as on the EMI set.

CD 19
- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/16/1926
- Egmont verture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933
- Symphony No. 3: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950
- Symphony No. 9: I - Berlin Philharmonic 04/19/1942
- Symphony No. 9: II - Vienna Philharmonic 05/30/1953
SOUND: The older tracks show their age, otherwise good.

CD 20
- Leonore III Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 06/02/1944
- Piano Concerto No. 4: III - Pietro Scarpini piano, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Rome 01/19/1952
- Violin Concerto: III - Erich Röhn violin, Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944
- Fidelio: Jetzt Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein - Lisa della Casa, Rudolf Schock, Vienna Philharmonic 08/03/1948
- Fidelio excerpts - Kirsten Flagstad, Josef Greindl, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Vienna Philharmonic 08/05/1950
SOUND: Mixed – great on the Violin Concerto and pretty good on the 1950 Fidelio excerpts.

BOX 3 - Brahms

CD 21
- Symphony No. 1 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952
- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950
SOUND: Good but live recordings that show their age.

CD 22
- Symphony No. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/07/1952
- Symphony No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954
SOUND: Good for age, no real issues.

CD 23
- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950
- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10 - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949
SOUND: Symphony No. 4 is OK, shows its age a bit with slight distortion and tinny sound. Hungarian Dances sound better than the same performances on EMI.

CD 24
- Piano Concerto No. 2 - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 11/08/1942
SOUND: Variable, 2nd and 3rd movements pretty good for age but 1st and 4th are a bit muddier. Overall good for 1942.

CD 25
- Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Lucerne Festival Orchestra 09/1949
- Concerto for Violin and Cello - Willi Boskovsky violin, Emanuel Brabec cello, Vienna Philharmonic 01/1952
SOUND: Good – same performances as on EMI set in better sound due to less aggressive noise control.

CD 26
- A German Requiem - Kerstin Lindberg-Torlind, Bernhard Sönnerstedt, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus 11/19/1948
SOUND: Some pretty heavy needle noise, and dynamics are poor. Listenable. Love the performance.

CD 27
- Symphony No. 1: IV - Berlin Philharmonic 01/23/1945
- Symphony No. 2: I - Vienna Philharmonic 01/28/1945
- Variations on a Theme by Haydn - Northwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra 10/27/1951
- Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/11/1952
- Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 and 10 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930
SOUND: Excerpts, quality is variable. The first three sound great for their age, the last three fair to middling.

BOX 4 - Bruckner

CD 28-33
- Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" - Vienna Philharmonic 10/19/1951
- Symphony No. 5 - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951
- Symphony No. 6 (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943
- Symphony No. 5: I - Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942
- Symphony No. 7 (Original Version) - Berlin Philharmonic 04/23/1951
- Symphony No. 8 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1949
- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 10/07/1944
SOUND: Mostly very high quality for their age, listenable and enjoyable, although Symphonies No. 7 and 9 are a bit dull and muted sounding.

BOX 5 - Viennese Classical Period

CD 34 - Haydn
- Symphony No. 88 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/05/1951
- Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" - Vienna Philharmonic 09/25/1950
SOUND: Really quite good on both symphonies, perhaps a bit muted at the high end but not bad.

CD 35 - Mozart
- Symphony No. 39 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/08/1944
- Symphony No. 40 - Vienna Philharmonic 12/07-08/1948 & 02/17/1949
SOUND: No. 39 is the same performance as on DG's Wilhelm Furtwangler - Recordings 1942-1944, Vol. 1, and the sound is about the same – that is, a bit compromised but OK. No. 40 is the same performance as on the EMI set, and again the Membran has just a bit brighter sound.

CD 36 - Mozart
- Serenade No. 10 for 13 Wind Instruments "Gran Partita" - Wind soloists of the Vienna Philharmonic 11-12/1947
- Serenade No. 13 "A Little Night Music" - Vienna Philharmonic 04/01/1949
SOUND: Very good once again on the Gran Partita. "A Little Night Music" shows its age just a bit more – a little tinny and muted at the high end, but not too bad.

CD 37 - Mozart
- Piano Concerto KV 466 - Yvonne Lefébure piano, Berlin Philharmonic 05/15/1954
- The Escape From The Seraglio: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933
SOUND: Piano Concerto shows its age, a bit noisy and muddy but a nice performance. Overture sounds just like 1933, but nothing unusual – noisy and poor technology.

CD 38 - Mozart
- Concerto for Two Pianos KV 365, Dagmar Bella & Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic 02/08/1949
- Piano Concerto No. 22 - Paul Badura-Skoda piano, Vienna Philharmonic - 01/27/1952
SOUND: Both pieces a bit compromised – record needle noise, noise control equalization. Listenable, but typical record transfers from the period.

CD 39-41 - Mozart
- Don Giovanni - Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Anton Dermota, Otto Edelmann, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/06/1954
SOUND: Live recording from 1954, and considering that the sound is pretty good with nice definition of the singers, although it is not perfect with plenty of footfalls and such. This looks to be the same recording sold by EMI in this 3-CD set, and judging by the reviews there I imagine the sound is about the same, but I can't make a direct comparison.

CD 42-44 - Mozart
- Die Hochzeit des Figaro - Paul Schöffler, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Erich Kunz Maikl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1953
SOUND: Live recording 1953, same as this performance. Sound is OK for age, but a little distortion in some places. My biggest problem is that this is not the original Italian, but a performance in German translation. May have been common practice at the time but I don't have to like it.

CD 45-47 - Mozart
- The Magic Flute - Josef Greindl, Anton Dermota, Paul Schöffler, Wilma Lipp, Erich Kunz, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/01/1951
SOUND: This 1951 Salzburg Magic Flute derives from a recording of a radio broadcast, so this isn't great sound – still pretty good considering its age and the recording conditions, and a great performance. Same recording as featured on this 3-CD set.

CD 48 - Schubert
- Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952
- Symphony No. 9 - Berlin Philharmonic 11-12/1951
SOUND: Pretty great for their age on both recordings.

CD 49
- Schubert - Rosamunde (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic, 01-02/1951
- Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1933
- Mozart - Don Giovanni (excerpts) - Tito Gobbi, Josef Greindl, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1950
- Mozart - The Magic Flute: Hm! Hm! Hm! - Walter Ludwig, Karl Schmidt-Walter, Vienna Philharmonic 07/27/1949
SOUND: Very nice on Rosamunde, less so on the rest.

BOX 6 - Romantic Period

CD 50
- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin, Berlin Philharmonic 06/25-26/1952
- Mendelssohn - The Hebrides: Concert Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951
- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 09/28/1947
- Schumann - Manfred Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951
SOUND: Mendelssohn Concerto is the same performance as on the EMI set – the sound here is excellent, pretty much identical to the EMI. The other tracks sound good, but not great – a little muddy generally.

CD 51 - Schumann
- Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - Vienna Philharmonic, 10/20/1951
- Symphony No. 4 - Berlin Philharmonic 05/14/1953
SOUND: OK on No. 1, a little muddy. No. 4 sounds great for its age.

CD 52 - Schumann
- Piano Concerto Op. 54 - Walter Gieseking piano, Berlin Philharmonic 03/03/1942
- Cello Concerto - Tibor de Machula cello, Berlin Philharmonic 10/28/1942
SOUND: Both excellent for 1942.

CD 53-54 - von Weber
- Der Freischütz - Alfred Poel, Oskar Czerwenka, Elisabeth Grümmer, Rita Streich, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 07/26/1954
SOUND: Looks to be the same performance as featured here. Quality is good for live recording in 1954.

CD 55
- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/05/1954
- von Weber - Euryanthe: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 05/04/1954
- von Weber - Oberon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 02/01/1950
- von Weber - Invitation To The Dance - Berlin Philharmonic 1932
- Otto Nicolai - The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/18/1951
SOUND: All excellent for their age, even the 1932 – although it still sounds like good 1932.

CD 56
- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1926
- von Weber - Der Freischütz: Prelude to Act 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1935
- Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto: III - Gioconda de Vito violin, RAI Symphony Orchestra of Torino 03/07/1952
- Schumann - Cello Concerto: Finale - Pierre Fournier cello, Berlin Philharmonic 11/13/1943
- Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1929
SOUND: All except the Violin Concerto excerpt are excellent for age, although many can't hide their age. The final track is mislabeled in the set as by Schumann, but it is really Mendelssohn.

BOX 7 - Late Romantic

CD 57 - Richard Strauss
- Sinfonia domestica - Berlin Philharmonic 01/12/1944
- Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952
SOUND: Again, very good for age.

CD 58 - Richard Strauss
- Don Juan - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951
- Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Vienna Philharmonic 03/02-03/1954
- Death and Transfiguration - Vienna Philharmonic 01/1950
SOUND: Very good. Till Eugenspiel and Death and Transfiguration same performances as on the EMI set with no appreciable difference in sound.

CD 59
- Richard Strauss - Four Songs - Peter Anders, Berlin Philharmonic 02/15/1942
- Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 05/22/1950
- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/24-25/1952
SOUND: Four Songs are outstanding for 1942. Four Last Songs are tough listening due to record needle noise and general poor transfer. The Mahler is in excellent studio sound.

CD 60 - Hindemith
- Symphonic Metamorphosis on a Theme by Carl Maria von Weber - Berlin Philharmonic 09/16/1947
- Concerto for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 06/20/1950
- Symphony "Harmony Of The World" - Vienna Philharmonic 08/30/1953
SOUND: All good, none great. No real noise issues, just recordings that show their age in somewhat thin sound. The Concerto for Orchestra is the same performance as featured on the big Audite set of RIAS recordings a few years back. The Audite sounds a tiny bit better, but the difference is not great.

CD 61
- Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements - Vienna Philharmonic 08/15/1950
- Stravinsky - Le Baiser de la fee - Berlin Philharmonic 03/18/1953
- Hans Pfitzner - Symphony in C major - Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1949
SOUND: Sounds like noise control has muted the Stravinsky pieces a lot, but even so the fact that Furtwangler was not a towering figure among Stravinsky conductors shines through. The Pfitzner still sounds muted with noise control, but less so.

CD 62
- Hans Pfitzner - Palestrina (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 06/10/1949
- Gustav Mahler - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen: Die zwei blauen Augen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Vienna Philharmonic 08/19/1951
- Richard Strauss - Don Juan - Venezuela Symphony Orchestra 03/21/1954
- Richard Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Berlin Philharmonic 1930
SOUND: A bit muted on the Pfitzner (but the work itself was a great surprise that made me want to hear the whole thing rather than just the excerpts here). The Mahler is from a live performance with clear sound – so clear you can hear the audience just great as well. The 1954 Venezuela Strauss sound more like 1929, and the 1930 Strauss sounds its age.

BOX 8 - Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Sibelius, Liszt, Smetana

CD 63 - Tchaikovsky
- Symphony No. 4 - Vienna Philharmonic 01/08-10/1951
- Serenade For Strings Op. 48 (excerpts) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/01-02/1950
SOUND: Studio recordings from 1950-51, sound is very good, must be from tapes, definitely not an LP transfer.

CD 64
- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 - RAI Orchestra of Torino - 06/06/1952
- Smetana - Die Moldau (Vltava) - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1951
SOUND: Mediocre on the Tchaikovsky – a record transfer with both noise and noise control. The Smetana sounds brilliant and multidimensional, I really love this except from "Ma Vlast" with the extensive quotes from the Rheingold Vorspiel.

CD 65
- Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique" - Berlin Philharmonic 10-11/1938
- Liszt - Les Préludes - Vienna Philharmonic 03/03/1954
SOUND: The Tchaikovsky is good, but only for age – record needle noise is not too bad. The Liszt sounds great – studio recordings apparently transferred from tapes.

CD 66
- Sibelius - Violin Concerto - Georg Kulenkampff violin, Berlin Philharmonic - 02/07/1943
- Sibelius - En Saga - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1943
- Dvorák - Slavonic Dance Op. 46 no. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 1930
SOUND: Sibelius Concerto is great for wartime recording, I doubt it could get better. En Saga is practically as good. Dvorák is pretty good for heavily noise-controlled 1930 record transfer, but don't expect a lot.

BOX 9 - Wagner

CD 67
- Siegfried-Idyll - Vienna Philharmonic 02/16-17/1949
- The Flying Dutchman: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 03/30-31/1949
- Tannhäuser Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 12/02-03/1952
- Parsifal (excerpts) - Berlin Philharmonic 03/15/1938
SOUND - All pretty good for LP or 78 transfers, but with some hiss and noise. Parsifal from 1938 has weakest sound.

CD 68
Lohengrin (Excerpts from Act 3) - Franz Völker, Maria Müller, Margarete Klose, Josef von Manowarda - Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 07/19/1936
- Lohengrin, Prelude to Act 1 - Vienna Philharmonic 03/04-05/1954
SOUND - All but last track are 1936 recording with weakish sound and record needle noise. 1954 Prelude sounds great.

CD 69-72 - Wagner
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Jaro Prohaska, Josef Greindl, Benno Arnold, Bayreuth Festspiel Chorus & Orchestra 1943
SOUND - 1943 live recording, noticeable needle noise, crowd noise, and generally a bit tinny sound. Doesn't seem like a bad transfer, just limited quality on the original.

CD 86-89
- Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra 06/10-22/1952
SOUND: Great! I was very pleased that this is basically a good quality studio recording from the old EMI release. No big sound issues here, and for my money the sound is better than on EMI's own latest release, where noise reduction has muted the tone a bit too much.

CD 90-91 - Wagner - Ring excerpts - Live at Milan Scala 1950
- Das Rheingold - Ferdinand Frantz, Angelo Mattiello, Joachim Sattler, Alois Pernerstorfer, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/02-11/03/1950
- Die Walküre - Günther Treptow, Hilde Konentzni, Kirsten Flagstad, Ferdinand Frantz, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/09-16/1950
- Siegfried - Set Svanholm, Peter Markwort, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 03/22/1950
- Götterdämmerung - Max Lorenz, Ludwig Weber, Kirsten Flagstad, Milan Scala Orchestra 04/04/1950
SOUND: Good quality live recordings with some crowd noise

CD 92 - Wagner - Die Walküre Act I
- Die Walküre - Leonie Rysanek, Ludwig Suthaus - Vienna Philharmonic - 09-10/1954
SOUND: From the 1954 studio recording, very good sound

CD 93-94 - Wagner excerpts
- Tristan und Isolde: Prelude - Berlin Philharmonic - 04/27/1954
- Tristan und Isolde: Mild und leise wie er lächelt - Erna Schlüter, Staatskapelle Berlin 10/03/1947
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Was duftet doch der Flieder - Rudolf Bockelmann, Vienna Philharmonic 09/05/1938
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Vienna Philharmonic 04/04/1949
- Parsifal: Karfreitagszauber - Berlin Philharmonic 04/25/1951
- Die Walküre: Du bist der Lenz, nach dem ich verlangte - Maria Müller, Vienna State Opera Orchestra 02/13-17/1936
- Die Walküre - Rudolf Bockelmann, Covent Garden Opera Orchestra 1937
- Götterdämmerung: Trauermarsch - Berlin Philharmonic 1933
- Götterdämmerung: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort - Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra 07/23/1952
- Götterdämmerung: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt - Rome Symphony Orchestra - 05/31/1952
SOUND: Variable but mostly quite good. Some typical issues with sound from 1930s recordings.

BOX 10 - Wagner - The Ring of the Nibelungen

CD 73-74 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/26/1953
CD 75-77 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walküre - RAI Symphony Orchestra 10/29-11/06/1953
CD 78-81 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried - RAI Symphony Orchestra 11/1953
CD 82-85 - Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung - RAI Symphony Orchestra 09/1953
SOUND: Really pretty good, and better dynamics than my current edition of this performance, which is an off-brand release. I haven't heard the Gebhart edition of the RAI Ring Cycle, which is supposed to be the reference release, but this one is a fairly good transfer.

BOX 11 - Other

CD 95
- Arthur Honegger - Mouvement symphonique No. 3 - Berlin Philharmonic 02/10/1952
- Fortner - Concerto for Violin and Large Chamber Orchestra - Gerhard Taschner violin, Berlin Philharmonic 12/18/1949
- Boris Blacher - Concertante Music for Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 04/27/1954
SOUND: Excellent on the Honegger, only slightly weaker on the Fortner and Blacher, which are featured in the same performances and about the same quality on the Audite set mentioned above.

CD 96-97 - Hector Berlioz
- The Damnation Of Faust - Frans Vroons, Hans Hotter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Chorus 08/26/1950
SOUND: Three strikes – tinny, noisy and sung in German translation. But I doubt anyone is buying a Furtwängler box for the Berlioz.

CD 98
- Franck - Symphony in D minor - Vienna Philharmonic 1954
- Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé: Suite Nr. 2 - Berlin Philharmonic 03/21/1944
SOUND: Great on the Franck and great for live wartime on the Ravel.

CD 99
- Cherubini - Anacreon: Overture - Vienna Philharmonic 01/11/1951
- Johann Strauss II - Emperor Waltz, Pizzicato-Polka - Vienna Philharmonic 01/24/1950
- Johann Strauss II - Die Fledermaus: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1937
- Rossini - The Thieving Magpie: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1930
- Rossini - The Barber of Seville: Overture - Berlin Philharmonic 1935
SOUND: The Cherubini is OK, but not great – the same performance sounds a bit better on the EMI set. Strauss waltzes sound great. Starting with the Fledermaus overture we're in the 1930s – pretty good to excellent for age, but still 1930s.

CD 100
- Ernst Pepping - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 1943
- Heinz Schubert - Hymnic Concerto for Soloists, Organ and Orchestra - Berlin Philharmonic 1942
SOUND: Great for wartime on the Pepping and pretty good on the Heinz Schubert – which I found to be a very interesting piece.

CD 101-102
- Furtwängler - Symphony No.2 - Berlin Philharmonic 12/1951
- Bartok - Violin Concerto No.2 - Yehudi Menuhin violin, Philharmonia Orchestra 09/12-13/1953
SOUND: The Furtwängler sounds like a decent studio recording, good but not outstanding for 1951. The Bartok has seen many releases by EMI. It sounds fine here, but the version on the latest EMI release sounds a bit better.

CD 103
- Furtwangler - Symphonic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra - Edwin Fischer piano, Berlin Philharmonic 01/19/1939
SOUND: Noise control has done an excellent job in both controlling the noise and sucking all brightness out of the recording. Not at all bad for 1939, but definitely noise control run amok.

CD 104-105
- Verdi - Othello - Ramon Vinay, Dragicia Martinis, Paul Schoffler, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic 08/07/1951
SOUND: Not bad, but a live recording from 1951 where the microphones picked up the entire stage and some of the hall too. Typical early 1950s live opera recording in that sense. At least this one is in Italian.

CD 106
The Salzburg Song Recital
- Hugo Wolf - Morike-Lieder, Goethe-Lieder, Italienisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Spanisches Liederbuch (excerpts), Sechs alte Weisen (excerpt), Sechs Lieder fur eine Frauenstimme (excerpt), Eichendorff-Lieder - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wilhelm Furtwangler piano 08/12/1953
SOUND: Schwarzkopf is microphoned pretty well, but the piano less so. I heard just a little distortion in louder passages. Still not too many sound issues.

CD 107
Excerpts from rehearsals, speeches and interviews
SOUND: Mixed. Will appeal to a minority, but interesting. Apart from the musical parts of the rehearsals – the first four of 11 tracks on the disc – you'll need to understand German.

CD-ROM
- Electronic booklets: biographical and track listing. (Note: The biographical booklet is included in paper form too, but no complete track listing.)
- Membran catalogs/advertisements



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Thanks to the original releaser