Furtwangler's 9th on Arkipel.

Yes. I've never gotten into the 4th movement... Perhaps it's just too overplayed, or maybe it's a German-opera thing?! (i've several Wagner Ring cycles - 2 by Solti, & another by Böhm, but also can't seem to muster the patience to finish each piece either). I find the first 3 movements (of LvB's 9th) thoroughly enjoyable tho.

On SACD format, the trend towards music downloads & p.c. playback does not bode well for proprietary hi-res formats (not to mention improvements in redbook by way of SHM-CDs, K2 mastering, etc.). Hope Sony will open up the DSD source. It'd be a waste for this technology (& my many SACDs) to go down the path of the betamex / laser disc / etc.

P.s.: Furtwangler's wartime concert with BPO was performed (grudgingly by Furtwangler) for Nazi officers at the height of the Nazi propaganda machine... (perhaps one of the reason for the tension, ferocity, & restraint?). Don't think you would hv wanted to be there.

'P.s.: Furtwangler's wartime concert with BPO was performed (grudgingly by Furtwangler) for Nazi officers at the height of the Nazi propaganda machine... (perhaps one of the reason for the tension, ferocity, & restraint?). Don't think you would hv wanted to be there.'

Excellent Point!!! I think the jury is still out on Furtwangler's wartime actions. As it is with other German artists of that era.

Glad you like too. I have this on a Turnabout 2 Lp set. Seems to have more "there" there than even the SACD, taken from Melodiya? Lp's.

Pity the choral distortion at points. Otherwise like it far better than the '51, with its agonizingly slow and poorly played slow mov't.

What a wild ride.

Comparing a performance from 70 years ago to a new recording with the latest technologies is nonsense. My point when I started the thread was that this particular remastering makes the performance more immediate and compelling than we are used to hearing with recordings of this vintage.
I have about 15 recordings of the 9th, including 3 SACD versions (Vanska, Masur, Herreweghe ). Furtwangler is a special musician , whatever his politics were. Are his recordings "better" than other famous conductors? No answer to that, but I don't think that any of the worthy conductors mentioned above will be generating this kind of discussion 50 years after their demise.

Read more than 5 books about Furtwangler's wartime activities, I still don't want to join the discussion regarding Furtwangler's political position during Nazi era.

Let music be music alone.

Here is another interesting recording. Furtwangler conducted Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at Salzburg Festival on August 31 1951. It was just one month after the historical Bayreuth reopening performance (July 29 1951).

Orfeo C 533 001 B

Hope you will enjoy it.

Happy Listening.

Otto