Swedish label BIS releases previously unreleased broadcast recordings of Furtwängler's Beethoven Symphony No. 9 from 1951 in Bayreuth
The well-known Swedish independent label BIS will release Furtwängler’s live performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 9, which took place on July 29, 1951, at the Bayreuth Festival. The recording was transferred from the broadcast master tapes held by the Swedish Radio (catalog number BISSA9060). Considered one of the best representations of Furtwängler’s profound artistic achievements in his later years, this rendition of Symphony No. 9 holds a special place in the hearts of many music and Furtwängler enthusiasts.
Due to the frequent collaborations and shared artistic visions, the Bayreuth Orchestra and Choir can be considered Furtwängler’s half “comrades-in-arms.” The soloists led by Schwarzkopf and Edelmann are also regarded as one of the golden lineups in music history. Additionally, with multiple broadcast stations preserving the master tapes, this version of Symphony No. 9 has been released several times, and its sound quality is among the best in Furtwängler’s recordings. Therefore, most music and Furtwängler enthusiasts are likely to have some collections of it.
BIS is not primarily focused on releasing historical recordings, but since its inception, the label has paid relatively high attention to sound quality and audio effects in record production. As a result, the transfer quality this time is expected to be satisfying, even though the specific improvements over previous versions cannot be conclusively determined at this moment. The society will also conduct follow-up analyses after the release of the record to provide references for everyone.
It is worth noting that all of BIS’s recent new releases have been published in the double-layer SACD format, allowing more content to be included on a single disc compared to a regular CD. Therefore, this transfer did not omit the pre-performance broadcast introductions in German, English, and Swedish, as well as the applause and cheers lasting more than 150 seconds after the performance’s conclusion. This approach makes it closer to the experience of attending a live concert than some versions that lack audience reactions.
Other releases of the performance
The opportunity to unearth the broadcast master tapes for this release actually originated from Rene Tremine, one of the founders of Tahra, who noted the radio stations that had preserved the broadcast tapes in his Furtwängler discography. The identified stations were Bavarian Broadcasting, Munich Radio, and Swedish Radio. The tapes from the first two stations have been released multiple times, but those from Swedish Radio had never seen the light of day. The theoretically well-preserved tapes had been dormant in the archives of Swedish Radio for 70 years. Based on a suggestion from King International, the renowned recording engineer, founder, and current CEO of BIS, Robert von Bahr, managed to locate and acquire the rights to these tapes for transfer and release.
Robert von Bahr in BIS's master archive room
Upon completion of this article, Tower Records in Japan began accepting pre-orders at a discounted price of 40% off (2317 yen) and included a bonus of Furtwängler postcards. A similar bonus was offered for pre-orders of the Warner Furtwängler 55-CD collection, and feedback from Japanese friends who received their orders was highly positive. The society does not provide surrogate purchasing services.
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time BIS has released recordings of Furtwängler. In 1989, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, BIS released an 8-CD box set (catalog number BIS421), featuring various live and studio recordings of the orchestra from its inception to 1989. The set included many exclusive recordings, a significant portion of which were obtained from Swedish Radio’s master tapes. On CD 7, the first track featured a segment of Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 (bars 501-605), and on CD 8, the fourth track featured Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, both conducted by Furtwängler. This recording set is still in production. Upon completion of this article, it was also on sale at a discounted price of $52.5 on Presto Music. In addition to Furtwängler, it includes precious live recordings of other masters such as Schmidt-Isserstedt, Rozhdestvensky, and more. It is recommended for fans who are interested in exploring these recordings.