ELECTROLA 2 LP E90115-6: Beethoven Symphony #9 - FURTWANGLER - OOP 1950s GERMANY

$

120

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Background on this eBay item -

Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. Furtwängler was born in Schöneberg (now a locality of Berlin) into a prominent family. His father Adolf was an archaeologist, his mother a painter. Most of his childhood was spent in Munich, where his father taught at the city's Ludwig Maximilian University. He was given a musical education from an early age, and developed an early love of Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer with whom he remained closely associated throughout his life. Though his chief posthumous fame rests on his work as a conductor, he was also a composer and regarded himself first and foremost as such, having in fact first taken up the baton in order to perform his own works.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Furtwängler was one of the leading conductors in Europe. He became the principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1922 and principal conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra (1922–26). He was also a major guest conductor of other leading orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic. He was the leading conductor who remained in Germany during the Second World War and, although not an adherent to the Nazi regime, this decision caused controversy for the rest of his life. The extent to which his presence lent prestige to the Third Reich is still debated. Furtwängler's interpretive art is well documented in commercial and off-air recordings and this has led to him being revered by countless musicians, critics and record collectors since his death.

Furtwängler's conducting style is often contrasted to that of his older contemporary Arturo Toscanini, whose work during this period is also widely documented. Like Toscanini, Furtwängler was a major influence on many later conductors, and his name is often mentioned when discussing their interpretive styles. However, unlike Toscanini, Furtwängler sought a weighty, less rhythmically strict, more bass-oriented orchestral sound, with more conspicuous use of tempo inflections, not indicated in the printed score.

Furtwängler had a unique conducting technique. He saw symphonic music as creations of nature that could only be realised subjectively into sound. This is why composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner were so central to Furtwängler's repertoire, because he identified them as great forces of nature. He disliked Toscanini's approach to the German repertoire. He walked out of a Toscanini concert once, calling him "a mere time-beater!".

• ELECTROLA RECORDS 2-LP set - "RED" record labels with "BLACK" lettering. Electrola is in white lettering along with the writing around the outside of the record labels. Record labels have the "TRIANGLE" at the 6 o'clock position.
  

• Records Made in: GERMANY

• Pressings are in MONO

• Record Speed: 33 1/3 rpm

• Records Made in: 1950s - MONO recordings (the only way this performance was recorded).
  

• Record Catalog Number: E 90115-116 (WALP 1286-1287)

Featured on this item:

Beethoven

Music on this 2-LP set -

Symphony No. 9 in D-Minor, Op. 125

Performed by -

Choir and Orchestra der Bayreuther Festspiele

Wilhelm Furtwangler, conductor

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano

Elisabeth Hongen, alto

Hans Hopf, tenor

Otto Edelmann, bass

Wilhelm Pilz, choir master

CONDITION Details:

• The LP box is in excellent condition. It shows a bit of shelf wear along the front cover section, but all the corners are solid and intact with no splits, just some wear, which is to be expected from a set that was made back in the mid-1950's. The box is cloth covered and comes complete, with libretto. 
  

• It has NO drill holes or saw marks of any kind.
  

• There is NO writing on the front, inside or back of the box.
  

• The cover has clean and sharp colors, with just a bit of color fading - see pictures with this listing for more detail. 

• The LPs are in excellent plus condition!
  

• These slabs of German made vinyl are extremely heavy (and so is the box)!

• The LPs retain most of their original gloss and sheen!
  

• The records have no serious marks on them, obviously well taken care of.
  

• NO serious spindle marks either.
  

• This is the copy you have always wanted in your collection - any picky audiophile would be happy with this one!
  

• These LPs may have a slight mark or two (spider marks) which are caused by sliding the LP in and out of the inner sleeve and are usually not audible on most audio systems - as for any record (even new ones), we recommend a thorough record cleaning before playing for best results!

A Short Note About LP GRADING -

• Mint = Only used for sealed items.
• Near Mint = Virtually flawless in every way.
• Near Mint Minus = Item has some minor imperfections, some audible.
• Excellent = Item obviously played and enjoyed with some noise.
• Very Good Plus = Many more imperfections which are noticeable and obtrusive.