[In Ryu Taehyung's Guest Seat] The Magician Who Recreated Sheet Music Text into Conducting

The Greatest Conductor of the 20th Century
'Wilhelm Furtwangler'

Ryu Taehyung Music Columnist

Starting today, the author, who has joined the new lineup of writers for Asia Economy’s ‘Humanities Cafe,’ has served as a reporter and editor-in-chief for the monthly magazine ‘Gaekseok,’ a guest music reporter for JoongAng Ilbo, and secretary general and expert committee member of the Daewon Cultural Foundation. He worked as a music coordinator for KBS TV’s ‘Classic Odyssey’ and appeared on radio programs such as KBS Classic FM’s ‘Starting FM Together.’ He has provided commentary at various performances and lectures including the Sejong Arts Academy, and served as a mentor for the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Arts Management Support Center, Changjak Sansil, Seoul International Living Arts Orchestra Festival, Seoul Arts Center Arts Awards, and Seoul Youth Arts Group. In 2020, he participated as a commentator in the ‘On Dream Textbook Concert’ hosted by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, which won the Minister of Education Award. Currently, he writes the ‘Meeting Classics’ column on Bugs Music and serializes ‘Ryu Tae-hyung’s Music Garden’ bimonthly in the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture’s monthly magazine ‘Culture+Seoul.’ His books include ‘Conduct the World with the Passion of Koreans (Myeongjin Publishing)’ and co-authored works ‘Classic Tune (Monopoly)’ and ‘You, Haruki, and Music (That Book).’

On the 25th of last month, it was the 135th birthday of German conductor Wilhelm Furtw?ngler (1886?1954). To commemorate this, Deutsche Grammophon uploaded a carefully selected playlist of recordings conducted by Furtw?ngler on the music streaming service Spotify. The playlist consists of 129 files totaling 21 hours and 58 minutes.

Furtw?ngler is widely regarded as the greatest symphony and opera conductor of the 20th century. If someone asked who the greatest conductor is, the author’s answer would be the same.

The author first heard Furtw?ngler around the time of graduating middle school. At that time, he read various music magazines such as ‘Gaekseok,’ ‘Music Donga,’ ‘Record Music,’ and ‘Monthly Music.’ Furtw?ngler was a conductor highly praised by critics. During high school, the author encountered Furtw?ngler’s 1951 live recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 from the Bayreuth Festival on LP. Although it was a passionate interpretation, perhaps due to poor sound quality, it seemed noisy and unorganized.

The rediscovery of Furtw?ngler came during university years. The author acquired a used 8-disc CD set of Furtw?ngler released in Germany. It contained his masterpieces such as the famous 1947 Beethoven ‘Fate’ Symphony, Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Especially, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 performed at the Titania Palast in 1952 was astonishing. After listening, the music lingered in the mind, and the author often felt the music ‘flowing out’ while walking.

It has been nearly 67 years since Furtw?ngler passed away. Why does his name still shine brightly even after more than half a century? The reason can be found in the music itself that he delivered. The flowing drama unfolding beyond the interference of poor sound quality imprints vividly on the mind and is unforgettable.

German conductor Wilhelm Furtw?ngler (1886?1954)

Henry Fogel, a music critic who served as the chief administrator of the Chicago Symphony and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, said that if he had to choose only one conductor in the world, it would be Furtw?ngler. He said Furtw?ngler combined clear musical structure and architecture with improvisation and a fantastic character. “He goes beyond merely following the score. The atmosphere of the concert hall melts in or sparks fly as conflicts unfold intensely. Even if the same piece is performed every night for three days, each performance is different.” This is Fogel’s evaluation. That is why enthusiasts collect and listen to his recordings by date.

British music critic Neville Cardus pointed out what distinguishes Furtw?ngler from other conductors: “Even in the rests of the music, the musical afterimage continues.” This means he immersed listeners in silence and then brought them out, maintaining tension.

Furtw?ngler built orchestral sound from the bottom up. He used the low strings of double bass and cello as a solid harmonic foundation and layered rich string sounds with various vibratos on top.

His conducting style was not particularly elegant. In videos, at climaxes, he appears to strike the air with his baton as if having a seizure. It cannot be called precise beating or stylish conducting. However, from there emerges deep, profound, passionate, and fervent music.

Leading vivid performances through repeated relaxation and tension
World-renowned before age 40 with New York Philharmonic invitation
Undisputed musical emperor through Berlin Philharmonic conducting
135th birthday... a maestro whose brilliance never fades

Furtw?ngler’s conducting was basically about drawing the melodic line rather than strictly keeping the beat. His conducting, as if caressing life, created living music. It maximized tension, then repeated relaxation and tension, producing music with a beating heart and vivid performances like the movement of nature. If a performance is too regular and smooth, it feels mechanical. Natural water flow detours around small stones here and there.

Furtw?ngler was born in 1886 in Berlin, Germany, the son of Adolf Furtw?ngler, an archaeology professor at Munich University. Wilhelm inherited a rich cultural education from his childhood tutors. Inviting scholars or artists as tutors was a tradition in affluent German families at the time. His father took him along on archaeological trips. Wilhelm directly experienced and learned about the greatness of ancient Roman and Greek ruins on site.

His childhood, never confined by the uniform fence of school, was a faithful preparation period to soar toward a broad horizon embracing various philosophies and arts.

German conductor Wilhelm Furtw?ngler (1886?1954)

Initially studying composition, Furtw?ngler gained experience as an apprentice conductor in Breslau and Munich from 1905. His official debut on the podium was in June 1906 at age 20. He conducted the Munich Kaim Orchestra performing Beethoven’s ‘Consecration Overture,’ his own Symphony No. 1 Adagio, and the main program was Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9.

In 1911, Furtw?ngler became conductor of the L?beck Opera House and began his full-fledged career. In 1915, he was recognized as conductor of Mannheim Opera House, and in 1920, he became conductor of the Berlin State Opera. After steady success, in 1922 at age 36, he succeeded Arthur Nikisch (1855?1922) as principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Furtw?ngler’s fame spread worldwide before he turned 40. From 1925 to 1927, he was invited to the New York Philharmonic and worked in the United States. From 1927 to 1930, he served as principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera. Additionally, he held the position of general director of the Bayreuth Festival, making him the undisputed ‘emperor’ of the music world.

During Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler’s rule, Furtw?ngler resisted the regime’s unjust artistic interference and helped Jewish musicians escape. When Jewish composer Paul Hindemith (1895?1963) was expelled from Nazi Germany, Furtw?ngler opposed it and defended Hindemith. However, continuing to conduct under the Nazi regime was regarded as collaboration with Hitler.

After World War II ended, Furtw?ngler was suspended from activities on charges of cooperating with the Nazis. However, he was acquitted in 1947 and reinstated, returning to the Berlin Philharmonic stage. He conducted the Bayreuth Festival in 1952 and became the Berlin Philharmonic’s lifetime conductor the same year, but upon his death in 1954, the throne of the music world passed to Herbert von Karajan (1908?1989).

Furtw?ngler was a man of contradictory character. “Furtw?ngler was ambitious and jealous, liked to appear noble. He was a coward yet heroic, strong yet weak, childlike yet erudite. German yet global, and only in music was he well-balanced and magnanimous.” This is part of the recollections of Gregor Piatigorsky (1903?1976, the teacher of Jeong Myeong-hwa), former principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic. In fact, Furtw?ngler is said to have been jealous of the rising young Karajan and obstructed him whenever possible. Moreover, although a dandy, Furtw?ngler often buttoned his shirt incorrectly and attended rehearsals like someone with a few screws loose, becoming a laughingstock among the orchestra members.

Soprano Maria Stader (1911?1999) called Furtw?ngler a “dark fool in worldly matters.” She meant he was fundamentally unpolitical and naive in political maneuvering. Given this, it was obvious he was exploited by the Nazis, who were like devils or vipers.

Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867?1957) called Furtw?ngler an ‘amateur.’ Although a derogatory term, it was not wrong. He paid no attention to conducting and communication skills as a professional, such as distributing rehearsal time or strategies through consideration of orchestra members. Like a university orchestra participating in an annual symphony festival, he threw himself into every rehearsal passionately. He poorly managed rehearsal time, often failing to finish well and going into the main concert. In recording sessions, unfamiliar with partial corrections, if there was a mistake, he restarted from the beginning.

Though socially awkward and clumsy, all orchestra members conducted by Furtw?ngler, not only the Berlin Philharmonic, respected him. One Berlin Philharmonic member recalled that while they were rehearsing among themselves, the tone suddenly changed and became lively, and when they looked around, Furtw?ngler was standing there. His presence alone changed many things... Isn’t that the true image of a conductor? In a world where orchestras and conductors become homogenized, Furtw?ngler remains a name dearly missed.

Music Columnist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.