Furtwängler, (Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin) Wilhelm

Furtwängler, (Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin) Wilhelm (b Berlin, 1886; d Ebersteinburg, 1954). Ger. conductor and composer. Répétiteur, Breslau Stadttheater 1905–6, Zurich 1906–7, Munich court opera with Mottl 1907–9. 3rd cond. under Pfitzner at Strasbourg 1910–11. Dir., Lübeck Opera and cond. of Lübeck SO 1911–15. Cond. Mannheim Opera 1915–20. Tonkünstler Orch., Vienna, 1919–24. Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. 1922–8, Berlin PO 1922 (for most of the rest of his life), Vienna PO 1924 (prin. cond. 1927–8, 1933–54). Bayreuth Fest. 1931 (Tristan), 1936, 1937, 1943, 1944, 1951 ( Beethoven's 9th Sym. only). London début 1924, NY 1925, CG début 1935. Regularly cond. Salzburg Fest. (début 1937) and perfs. of Ring at La Scala. In concert-hall gave memorable perfs. of the classics, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, etc., and championed music of Stravinsky and other 20th-cent. composers. Cond. f.ps. of Bartók's 1st pf. conc. (Frankfurt 1927), Schoenberg's Variations, Op.31 (Berlin 1928), Hindemith's sym. Mathis der Maler (Berlin 1934), and Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder (London 1950). Controversy over his position during Nazi régime led to withdrawal of his appointment as cond. NYP-SO, 1936 and as cond. of Chicago SO 1949. Fled to Switz. to avoid arrest, 1945. Cleared of pro-Nazi activities 1946 and resumed his int. career, visiting London several times. One of the great masters of the art of cond. Comp. 3 syms., pf. conc., and chamber mus.