Name: Wilhelm

Surname: Furtwängler


Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler (Berlin, 25 January 1886 – Baden-Baden, 30 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is considered one of the most important conductors of the twentieth century, as well as in the history of Western classical music, in particular thanks to his interpretations of German and Austrian symphonic music which still represent a point of reference for current musicologists and conductors. He conducted the 'Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with which he identified throughout his life. Furtwängler summarized the tradition of Germanic interpretation begun by Richard Wagner and continued by the first two permanent conductors of the Philharmonic Orchestra: Hans von Bülow and Arthur Nikisch. His approach to music, deeply influenced by the theories of the Viennese Jewish musicologist Heinrich Schenker, has often been compared and contrasted with that of his historic rival Arturo Toscanini, who wanted to perform strictly as reported in the scores. He had a notable influence on all post-war conductors, particularly on his successor, Sergiu Celibidache. His role, image and some of his controversial choices in the context of Nazi Germany earned him much criticism, although he does not appear to have had any sympathy for Nazi ideology.

Autograph type: Autograph on photograph mounted on large cardboard (59x49 cm.)

Notes: Photograph kept by Peter Arnold's father-in-law (seller) while the photo was of a family friend named Elli Blümel who was in the Furtwangler choir during WWII. Regarding photography it is a collage of two photos of Beethoven/Furtwängler where the snapshot of Furtwängler comes from the series, taken by Abraham Pisarek (1901-1983) during a concert at the Titania Palast in Berlin. Although the dating is not precise, it is approx. 1950