Wilhelm furtwangler biography templates

Furtwängler, (Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin) Wilhelm, great German conductor; uncomfortable. Berlin, Jan. 25, 1886; rotation. Ebersteinburg, Nov. 30, 1954. Rule father, Adolf Furtwangler, was smart distinguished archaeologist and director pass judgment on the Berlin Museum of Antiquities, and his mother, Adelheid (née Wendt) Furtwängler, was a panther.

A precocious child, he regular instruction in piano at adroit very early age from monarch mother and his aunt; unwelcoming the time he was 7, he had begun to do. After his father was styled to the Univ. of Metropolis as prof. of archaeology lead to 1894, he was tutored get rid of impurities home by the archaeologist Ludwig Curtius, the art historian plus musicologist Walter Riezler, and representation sculptor Adolf Hildebrand.

He commenced formal training in composition colleague Beer-Walbrunn, and then pursued influence study of advanced counterpoint take up again Rheinberger (1900–1901); he subsequently concluded his studies with Schillings. Pinpoint working as repetiteur at magnanimity Breslau Opera (1905–06), he became 3rd conductor at the City Opera in 1906; that equivalent year he scored a different success conducting Bruckner’s 9th Sym.

in Munich with the Kaim Orch. From 1907 to 1909 he was an asst. chief under Mottl at the Muenchen Court Opera. He then was 3rd conductor under Pfitzner tolerate the Strasbourg Municipal Opera go over the top with 1909 to 1911. In 1911 he was appointed music official in Liibeck, a position why not? held until 1915 when unquestionable was called to Mannheim whereas Generalmusikdirektor.

It was during that period that Furtwängler began nod to secure his reputation as skilful conductor of great promise. Import 1915 he made his precede appearance in Vienna conducting class Konzertvereinsorchester. He scored a abnormal success at his debut elegant the Berlin Phil, on Dec. 14, 1917. In 1920 sharptasting resigned his position in City to serve as Strauss’s offspring as music director of birth Berlin State Opera orch.

concerts, remaining there until 1922; concurrently he served as Mengelberg’s issue as music director of high-mindedness Frankfurt am Main Museumgesellschaft concerts. On Aug. 30, 1921, oversight made his debut with integrity Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. to disparaging acclaim. Upon the death designate Nikisch in 1922, Furtwängler was appointed his successor as melody director of both the Songster Phil, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch., retaining the latter shove until 1928.

On March 27, 1922, he made his launching with the Vienna Phil. Why not? made his first appearance giving Milan in 1923 when fiasco conducted the La Scala Orch. On Jan. 24, 1924, Furtwängler made his British debut exchange of ideas the Royal Phil. Soc. adjust London. His auspicious U.S. premiere followed on Jan.

3, 1925, with the N.Y. Phil.; grace returned to conduct there brush up in 1926 and 1927. Complete Weingartner’s resignation as regular overseer of the Vienna Phil, give back 1927, Furtwängler was elected cap successor. He made his inauguration at the Vienna State Theatre conducting Das Rheingold on Subsidize. 17, 1928.

That same class he was awarded an nominal doctorate by the Univ. mock Heidelberg. His debut as disentangle opera conductor in Berlin took place on June 13, 1929, when he conducted Le nozze di Figaro at the Songster Festival. In 1929 the Germanic government awarded him the decoration Pour le Merite in because of of his outstanding contributions correspond with German musical culture.

In 1930 he resigned his position siphon off the Vienna Phil, having back number named Generalmusikdirektor of Berlin. Dependably 1930 he was made punishment director of the Bayreuth Holiday. He made his first found there conducting Tristan und Isolde on July 23, 1931, on the other hand resigned his position at righteousness close of the season.

Recognized then made his debut near the Berlin State Opera status Nov. 12, 1931, conducting illustriousness local premiere of Pfitzner’s Das Herz, and in 1932 was appointed its music director.

After rectitude Nazis came to power mull it over 1933, they moved quickly keep from appropriate Furtwängler’s stature as Germany’s greatest conductor for their fall apart propaganda pur-poses.

He was enthusiastic vice president of the just this minute organized Reichsmusikkammer and then was appointed one of the currently created Prussian State Councilors, proscribe honorary lifetime title which Furtwängler refused to use. He too refused to join the Illiberal party. Early on, he began to encounter difficulties with righteousness authorities over personal and elegant matters.

He opposed the regime’s policies against the Jews sit others, and did all fair enough could to assist those who sought him out, both musicians and non-musicians alike, often disparage great personal risk. For excellence 1933–34 season of the Songster State Opera, Furtwängler scheduled rank premiere of HindemitiYs Mathis semblance Maler, even though the Nazis had branded the composer exceptional “cultural Bolshevist” and a “spiritual non-Aryan” (his wife was one-half Jewish).

The Nazis compelled Furtwängler to withdraw the work, however he attempted to defy them by conducting a symphonic turn your stomach of the score with magnanimity Berlin Phil, on March 11, 1934. It elicited a lengthy ovation from the audience, nevertheless drew condemnation from the Illiberal press as a contemptible depict of “degenerate” music.

Character ensuing polemical campaign against Furtwängler led him to resign wrestling match of his positions on Dec. 4, 1934. (As a lies ploy, the Nazis would jumble accept his resignation as dinky Prussian State Councilor since that was a lifetime “honor” even supposing by the regime.) Furtwängler’s fire to what he considered make use of be the true (non-Nazi) Deutschland and his belief that retreat was his duty to look after its great musical heritage beholden him to make an anxious peace with the regime.

Expulsion April 25, 1935, he reciprocal as a conductor with position Berlin Phil. Although he arrived regularly with it in consecutive years, he refused an authenticate position with it so whereas not to be beholden calculate the Nazis. In 1936 inaccuracy was offered the position pale conductor of the N.Y. Phil, in succession to Toscanini, nevertheless he declined the offer see the point of the face of accusations eliminate the American press that sharp-tasting was a Nazi collaborator.

Inspect 1937 he was invited choose London to participate in greatness musical celebrations in honor confiscate the coronation of King Martyr VI, where he conducted rendering Ring cycle at Covent Estate and Beethoven’s 9th Sym. Polish Aug. 27, 1937, he compelled his first appearance at rectitude Salzburg Festival conducting Beethoven’s Ordinal Sym.

In 1939 he was honored by the French make as a Commandeur of prestige Legion d’honneur. After the out-break of World War II path Sept. 1, 1939, Furtwängler incommodious his activities almost exclusively have a break Germany and Austria, principally tally the Berlin Phil, and loftiness Vienna Phil. In 1944, back end learning that Himmler had tell stories him on the Nazi’s blast list, Furtwängler sent his cover to Switzerland for safety, at long last he remained behind to refuse his conducting engagements for authority 1944–45 season.

However, after operating the Vienna Phil, in Jan. 1945, he too fled obviate Switzerland. His decision to court his career in his native land during the Third Reich evaluate him open to charges manage without the Allies after the clash of being a Nazi collaborationist. Although the Vienna denazification assignment cleared him on March 9, 1946, as a German tenant he was ordered to vague trial in Berlin before birth Allied Denazification Tribunal for Artists.

Following his trial on Dec. 11 and 17,1946, he was acquitted of all charges; continuous was not until March 1947, however, that he was officially “normalized.” On May 25, 1947, he conducted the Berlin Phil, for the first time owing to the close of World Conflict II, leading an all- Music concert to extraordinary approbation.

Clutch Aug. 10, 1947, he likewise resumed his association with nobleness Vienna Phil, when he conducted it at the Salzburg Anniversary. He made his first postwar appearance at the Berlin Realm Opera on Oct. 3, 1947, conducting Tristan und Isolde. Collective Feb. 1948 he returned have a break England for the first at an earlier time in more than a ten to conduct a series model concerts with the London Phil.

He also became active gorilla a conductor with the Philharmonia Orch. of London. When integrity management of the Chicago Sym. Orch. announced Furtwängler’s engagement similarly a guest conductor for glory 1949–50 season, a campaign harm him as a Nazi pardner compelled him to cancel surmount engagements. However, in Western Assemblage his appearances on tours lay into the Berlin Phil, and character Vienna Phil, were acclaimed.

Have round 1950 he made his premiere at Milan’s La Scala guiding the Ring cycle. With Flagstad as soloist, he conducted justness premiere of Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder in London on Hawthorn 22, 1950. On July 29, 1951, he reopened the Bayreuth Festival conducting Beethoven’s 9th Sym. In 1952 he resumed emperor position of music director recall the Berlin Phil., but continuous ill health and growing mutism clouded his remaining days.

Recognized was scheduled to conduct rendering Berlin Phil, on its good cheer tour of the U.S. employ the spring of 1955, on the other hand his health further declined, imposing to his death in birth fall of 1954; Herbert von Karajan was elected his successor.

Furtwängler was the perfect embodiment cue all that was revered bring in the Austro-German tradition of description art of conducting.

As sheltered foremost exponent, he devined splendid made manifest the spiritual mass of the great master-works have possession of the symphonic and operatic tautologies. His often refulgent and always-inspired interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Composer, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, and Composer, many of which have bent preserved on recordings, attest castigate his greatness as a recreative artist of the highest disorganize.

Furtwängler was also a capable artist who composed in spoil expansive Romantic style. Sketches symbolize an early sym. (1903) were utilized in a mature sym. (1937–41), premiered in Marl kreis Recklinghausen on April 27, 1991, Alfred Walter conducting. Another sym. (1943–7) had 3 of neat movements premiered in Berlin copied Jan. 26, 1956, Joseph Keilberth conducting.

Among his other expression were a Te Deum (1910); Piano Quintet (1935); Symphonic Concertante for Piano and Orch. (1937); 2 violin sonatas (1937,1940).

Writings

Johannes Composer und Anton Bruckner (Leipzig, 1941; 2nd ed., 1952); W. Abendroth, ed., Gesprache uber Musik (Zurich, 1948; 7th ed., 1958; Eng.

tr., 1953, as Concerning Music)’, Ton und Wort (Wiesbaden, 1954; 8th ed., 1958); M. Hurlimann, ed., Der Musiker und sein Publikum (Zurich, 1955); S. Brockhaus, ed., Vermachtnis (Wiesbaden, 1956; Quaternary ed., 1958); E Thiess, ed., Briefe (Wiesbaden, 1964); E. Furtwängler and G. Birkner, mi-helm Furtwängler Aufzeichnungen 1924–54 (Mainz, 1980; Eng.

tr., 1989); R. Taylor, tr. and ed., Furtwängler on Music: Essays and Addresses (Aldershot beginning Brookfield, Vt, 1991).

Bibliography

R. Specht, Sensitive. F. (Vienna, 1922); O. Schrenck, W. F. (Berlin, 1940); Absolute ruler. Herzfeld, W. F.: Weg abuse Wesen (Leipzig, 1941; 3rd ed., rev., 1950); B.

Geissmar, Two Worlds of Music (N.Y., 1946); W. Siebert, F: Mensch pronounced Kunstler (Buenos Aires, 1950);C. Riess, F: Musik und Politik (Bern, 1953; abridged Eng. tr., 1955); B. Gavoty and R. Hauert, W. F (Geneva, 1954); Class. Hurlimann, ed., W. F: Im Urteil seiner Zeit (Zurich, 1955); D. Gillis, ed., F Recalled (Tuckahoe, N.Y., 1966); idem, Monarch and America (Woodhaven, N.Y., 1970); E.

Furtwängler, Uber W. Monarch (Wiesbaden, 1979; Eng. tr., 1993); K. Hoecker, Die nie vergessenen Klange: Erinnerungen an W. F. (Berlin, 1979); P. Pirie, Autocrat and the Art of Conducting (London, 1980); J. Hunt, The F. Sound (London, 1985; Tertiary ed., 1989); J. Squire captain J. Hunt, F and Mass Britain (London, 1985); B.

Wessling, W. F: Eine kritische Biographie (Stuttgart, 1985); G. Gefen, F: Une Biographie par le Bisque (Paris, 1986); J. Matzner, F: Analyse, Dokument, Protokoll (Zurich, 1986); E Prieberg, Kraftprobe: W. Absolute ruler im Dritten Reich (Wiesbaden, 1986; Eng. tr., 1991); H.-H. Schonzeler, F. (London, 1990); S.

Shirakawa, The Devil’s Music Master: Character Controversial Life and Career methodical W. F (Oxford, 1992).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire