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Wilhelm Furtwängler

Wilhelm Furtwängler

Born: 25th January 1886, Berlin

Died: 30th November 1954, Baden-Baden

Nationality: German

Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a major influence for many later conductors, and his name is often mentioned when discussing their interpretative styles.

Furtwängler was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic between 1922 and 1945, and from 1952 until 1954. He was also principal conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra (1922–26), and was a guest conductor of other major orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic.

Although not an adherent of Nazism, he was the leading conductor to remain in Germany during the Nazi regime.

Further Reading: Furtwängler

  • Furtwängler from Neeme Järvi

    At the helm of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Järvi family patriarch makes a convincing case for the German conductor's shapeshifting Symphony No. 2, completed in Switzerland shortly after he fled Nazi Germany in 1945.

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