Furtwängler's late Lugano live performances is published on SACD
Japanese company King International will release a set of two dual-layer SACDs (catalog number KKC4299) on March 20, 2022. The content of the release is a reproduction of Furtwängler’s live recording conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in Lugano on May 15, 1954.
The content is:
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, op. 68
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466
- Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, op. 28
The soloist is Alfred Cortot’s student, French pianist Yvonne Lefébure.
The source used for this reproduction is reportedly the master tape used for the initial release of this concert on vinyl.
This performance is one of the last recordings Furtwängler left before his passing later that year, taken from his final European tour with the Berlin Philharmonic in May. During the tour, on May 4th, they performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 ‘Unfinished’ at the Opéra de Paris, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in Turin on the 14th, and the content being released this time was performed on the 15th at the Apollo Theater in Lugano. The track order in this reproduction also follows the sequence of the live performance.
Originally, this recording was made by Italian company Fonit Cetra using a 2-track 38cm/s analog master tape produced by Milano Dischi, and released as a double LP set (catalog number LO529). Later, King published the same master tape as two separate LP sets at different price ranges (catalog numbers SLF-5017/8, KIJC-2014/5) from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. The source was divided, with Beethoven Symphony No. 6 released separately as an LP (catalog number K17C-9419), and the Mozart Piano Concerto and Till merged together as an LP (catalog number K17C-9024). At the same time, they also released the Beethoven Symphony No. 6 and Mozart Piano Concerto separately on CD under their Seven Seas label (catalog numbers K35Y-44, K33Y-192), and later combined the two into one CD release (catalog numbers KICC-2295, KICC-1267). Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche has not been previously released on CD by King before this reproduction.
LO529
SLF-5017/8
KIJC-2014/5
K35Y-44
K33Y-192
This recording has been published in various forms before. For example, IDIS, a historical recording label under the Italian label Dynamic, released a reissue using Cetra LPs. Otaken also reissued using King LPs, excluding Till Eulenspiegel. There’s also the so-called “official” pirate label ATS with unknown sources, among others. The Société Wilhelm Furtwängler has also published a vinyl edition that includes Mozart’s piano concerto.
KICC-1267
KICC-1380
XPMX-2273
The source used for this King reissue is no different from the previously released CD version of the recording. It shares the same source as the reissues of Gluck, Figaro, and others. The only difference is the addition of one extra track and the use of a dual-layer SACD as the medium. The booklet features a 7000-word commentary written by Koho Uno in his prime when the vinyl edition was initially released in 1980.
The price of the record is over 4000 yen, which is not considered low. The SACD format is subjective to each, and Richard Strauss is a composer whom Furtwängler excelled in interpreting. It is expected that the rendition of Till Eulenspiegel on the record should have slightly better sound quality compared to previous reissues done on LPs by various sources. Although King’s previous releases have included examples like the UHQCD reissue of the infamous recording of Beethoven’s 9th on 20 April 1942 that may be seen as unnecessary, the quality is generally reliable. The society recommends that fans consider their own record collection and make a purchase accordingly.
Finally, the Wilhelm Furtwängler Society of China wishes all music lovers a happy Chinese New Year and a prosperous Year of the Tiger!