I had a busy day at work on Beethoven’s day so little time was left to enjoy his music in solitude. There are too many good recordings that are worth playing.
To choose a quintessential example of the art of both Beethoven the great composer and Furtwängler the great conductor, I’ve selected the Große Fuge, op. 133.
The original version of the music was represented by Vegh Quartet’s recording in the 1970s.
Furtwängler has two extant recordings of its transcription, by the Berlin Philharmonic in 1952 and Vienna Philharmonic in 1954 respectively. Both are insightful and both afford one to be enthralled by his interpretation.
It was a wonderful night.
Wilhelm Furtwängler Journal 