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Who is your Favorite Historical Conductor?

For discussion purposes I am limiting this to

1) Wilhelm Furtwangler

2) Arturo Toscanini 

3) Bruno Walter

 

feel free to introduce others.  I will be arbitrary and cut off Conductors who worked after the death of Leonard Bernstein.

  Furtwangler and Toscanini died just short of the onset of the stereo era.  They were however recorded with the best technology of the times, and the work of restoration technology of today has done wonders.  Walter recorded until 1962 but perhaps his best work was done in the mono era.

  Walter was renowned for his “humanity” Furtwangler for his near mystical ability to rechannel German/Austrian music, and Toscanini for his finely chiseled intensity

mahler123
mahler123 OP
3,081 posts
 

Willem  Mangelberg?

I have only heard a few examples of him—Ein Heldenleben with the NYP and an Eroica with Amsterdam.  The Eroica sounded like a little crystal meth may be been injected into proceedings.

mahler123 OP
3,081 posts
 

There is a good selection of Cantelli , both studio recordings and live concerts, on the Pristine Audio site. I particularly like the concert version of Stravinsky Chant of the Nightengale

gg107
71 posts
 

Mengelberg is an interesting choice!  I recall reading somewhere that Mengelberg thought he could just make changes to Beethoven's scores because, after all, Beethoven was deaf, not to mention dead, and who would know better what would work than the conductor himself!  

My choice would be Furtwangler.  Just this morning we listened to his wartime live Bruckner 9th.  It is driven, ferocious, and transcendent.

bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,596 posts
 

I’ll add George Szell into the mix.

Boulez as well, but may be too new for ‘historical’…still one of my favs.

Maazel too

Bernstein….Karajan

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 

Knappertsbusch, Klemperer, Szell. All concert masters at heart and really understanding how orchestras get ‘in the groove’

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