Furtwängler Symphony No.2

[Alan Howe]

Well, there we are: Hurwitz likes it. I happen to prefer the work given more 'breathing room', which Barenboim does in spades. But everyone to his own; at least the work's getting some air time.

[Ilja]

Considering the amount of positive feedback I went back to the recording to hear what I'd apparently missed. After a second and third listening I have to backtrack on some of my criticism of the recording; whether it was a technical glitch, something to do with headphones or something else altogether, the muddiness was largely gone. There's still some balancing issues I think, but those aren't all that serious.

Having said that, I stand by the rest of my criticism. Although few things go really wrong, the orchestra sounds to me as though they barely manage to get the piece across the finish line, and it really does sound rushed, particularly in the climaxes.

And that was enough Furtwängler for me for the rest of the decade, I think.

[Alan Howe]

For me it's hard to imagine that the playing of Barenboim's Chicago Symphony Orchestra (which is spectacular) could be bettered.

Anyway, each to his own...

[eschiss1]

Yes- when I praise the Järvi I am praising the May 2024 performance on YouTube, I had not and still have not heard the June 2024 performance available on the Chandos CD.

[eschiss1]

BTW as far as I know the last recordings of this work were Barenboim's (2001) and after it Albrecht's (2003).

[Alan Howe]

From a new review of Järvi's recording:

<<Readers may be aware of Barenboim's 2002 Chicago recording (Teldec, now Warner Classics). Although difficult to come by and strangely missing from streaming services' catalogue, it is still the finest performance of all.>>
https://theclassicreview.com/album-reviews/review-furtwangler-symphony-no-2-estonian-national-symphony-orchestra-neeme-jarvi/?utm_source=Mailchimp&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=July_25_Newsletter_1

[Wheesht]

Just noticed there will be a programme called 'Interpretationen' about the symphony on DLF Kultur (in German) tomorrow, 24 August, at 15.05 CET.