Furtwängler Symphony 2/Barenboim

[Alan Howe]

Has anyone heard the Asahina?

[adriano]

Yes I have, but years ago... Must just find the time these days to revisit it  I remember having been rather satisfied...

[Alan Howe]

Asahina has an exalted reputation in some circles, Adriano. What is your professional opinion of him?

[Gauk]

I am rather partial to Furtwangler's music, and it was a great thing to be able to get a recording by such capable performers as the Barenboim CD. The 1st symphony I have only ever heard in the Walter performance on Marco Polo, and really, Walter is not up to the demands of the work - no grasp of the structure. Would be nice if Barenboim took up some more neglected pieces.

[eschiss1]

I don't know of much neglected _Romantic_ repertoire aside from that that he's performed and recorded, but he's recorded a fair amount of neglected repertoire from other eras. (He conducted the premiere of Josef Tal's 5th symphony, for example (1993-02-23) (no commercial recording, I think, but BBC has a tape of it).)
In operaville, so to speak, he's recorded Busoni (Die Brautwahl, for example)- borderline Romantic?, definitely unsung still... (it may still be possible to hear a performance of Busoni's violin concerto he conducted here.)

[adriano]

@Alan. No idea - Have only this item and don't know anybody who knew Asahina. He died in 2001. Apparently he knew Furtwängler and he was a Bruckner expert.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, I had read this. Thanks anyway.

[semloh]

I have the symphonies on CD, having long ago discarded the LPs (on EMI or HMV, which I can't see in the discographies at http://www.furtwangler.net/doc/Discography%20of%20Furtwanglers%20works.pdf and http://www.furtwangler.net/doc/jacquardcompo.pdf but I seem to recall they were conducted by the composer and were recorded at a very low level).

In any case, I find them all rather dull, despite the big crescendos, which is consistent with my general reaction to Bruckner!

[Alan Howe]

It might be worth seeking out Barenboim's recording of No.2 - the magnificence of the playing and recording make a big difference in this sort of music.

[sdtom]

Perhaps this is why I've gotten little out of him. My recording of the D symphony is Walter and the Slovak state.
Tom

[Gauk]

Perhaps this is why I've gotten little out of him. My recording of the D symphony is Walter and the Slovak state

It's not just the playing and the recording; Barenboim knows how to interpret this sort of music and Walter doesn't.

[Alan Howe]

Absolutely right.

[adriano]

@sdtom. The Slovak State CD was so horrible that they invested into a new one with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Better orchestra and a bit better conducting :-)
I wish Marco Polo would have let me redo my CD with 3 Respighi ballets. Instead of the usual Slovak Radio SO (which was on a Japan tour), they gave me a substitute ad  hoc ensemble with another concertmaster who was not motivated at all and did not like the music. Of course I was not told this before I went down, otherwise I would have refused. These session were nightmarish; I can say that only "La Pentola Magica" came out quite satisfactory...

[semloh]

Listening to the Walter discs, I always feel the music is about to burst into a field of bright light and soaring inspiration, but it never quite makes it. Maybe it does under Barenboim!   

[Alan Howe]

It's a rather stop-start work, but magnificently so - especially under Barenboim in Chicago.