Wagner - Siegfried by Wilhelm Furtwängler at Milan 1950 (Ring) / Remastered (Century's recording)

Wilhelm Furtwängler, was an extraordinary interpreter and unquestioned protagonist of numerable performances of Wagnerian dramaturgy, and principally of Der Ring des Nibelungen, in all his existence from the first production in German provincial theatres at the end of the Emperor Wilhelm 's time to the most famous executions in the most important traditional theatres, conducted in Europe between the two wars from Berlin to Bayreuth, from Vienna to London, then again in Berlin and Vienna, but aft

er the second world war principally in Italy, at the Scala in 1950 and at the RAI in Rome in 1953. More than a great conductor Furtwängler was an artist with a lively sense of coherency in his ideas, never disdaining to make clear his conceptions of the Wagnerian theatre in the fundamental aspects of symbol, poetry, executive event and overall representativeness. According to several of his contemporaries and an admission of the maestro himself, the production ofDer Ring des Nibelungen at the Sc

ala in the spring of 1950 represented the culmination point of an artistic trajectory that had lasted a lifetime. In fact, in this edition are to be found all the exigencies so dear to the heart of Furtwängler and a preferential code of reading of Wagnerian theatre to which he had been substantially faithful since the first Tetralogy of his career as a conductor, the performance in Baden-Baden in 1919 with the ensemble of the National theater in Mannheim, and in regard to which he had written a

report which is worth while rereading in its fundamental points because it confirms the sense of continuity of a unique idea, the red line that had gone through all Furtwängler's existence. The realisation with which Furtwängler begins his 'Observations on the music ofDer Ring des Nibelungen by Wagner" is an objective fact, that is the verification of the differences existing between the Tetralogy and the rest of the Wagnerian production. "Der Ring des Nibelungen is and remains the most discusse

d among Wagner's operas. It does not achieve the unlimited popularity of his preceding operas and does not even succeed in conquering musicians to the same degree as Tristan or Die Meistersinger." Between Der Ring and the other operas of Wagner there is a difference not easily individualised. If, for example, we take Tristan or Die Meistersinger, right at the beginning we can perceive a certain something that confers an extreme degree of unity on the whole multiform creation. It is like a common

atmosphere, surrounding and pervading everything. It is like a mysterious central nucleus of creation from which everything radiates and everything is nourished. From here originates the actual style of each opera, and of it alone, a style that is revealed in the music, beginning with the prelude, that contains - so to say - deep in itself the sense of all, that unfolds itself until the last bars. After this Furtwängler emphasises: "This central nucleus is lacking in Der Ring. This does not mea

n that this work lacks its own style, but the species and character of this style, compared with the other operas, are different. So we already find at the beginning a certain human and poetic atmosphere that confers nature and colour on the whole work, but all takes form here only slowly, originating from the single details (gods, giants, dwarfs, the depths of the Rhine, the caves of the Nibelheim). These, at least at first, seem to be an end in themselves, more than a part of the action that h

as slight amalgamating efficacy. The human dimension only very gradually assumes importance with Siegmund and Sieglinde, and finally resolves in the ideal figure of Siegfried. However, this too always occurs in the background of a world made up of fabled and magic creatures, that can in no way substitute the generally poetic tone of the other operas, for example the yearning of life and death in Tristan or the stupendous serenity of Die Meistersinger. What then is the fundamental relationship be

tween the music and the story? Furtwängler replies: "To become creative the musician actually needs what has been poetically perceived, humanly lived through, and that means the elements making up the central nucleus, the.general tone. These elements are really the source of the force and the capacity to express the thoughts of the musician, only they can be completely penetrated by the music, and by the music's own means transformed into living reality. "Instead, what we can consider the centra

l nucleus of Der Ring, (the idea of the tragic destiny linked to the stolen gold of the Rhine) remains an idea, a thought: therefore the music cannot catch it." What role then does the music play in Der Ring des Nibelungen? Furtwängler declares: "The attitude of the music is to carry out a different function. Its link with the stage is closer than in Wagner's other operas. What is put into music in Der Ring does not come from or does not follow what happens on the stage - all those gods, heroes,

giants, dwarfs, the fire, the water are rather there to show the happenings on the stage itself. The music Is strictly linked to the single moment, everything depends on clarity. There is no ' 'theatre music' more authentic than this. From this comes that series of "leading motives " simplified to abstraction, that owing to their extraordinary Mastic prominence and weight, have become more popular than any other music of Wagner. Their specific significance in the whole of the drama is assumed f

rom the first appearance, and in strict relationship with what is happening on the stage. They are isolated, do not determine anything that follows and therefore do not create any frame of mind, as on the other hand occurs for some of the principal themes of other operas. So they are used later on more as signs of recognition than as constructive elements. However, with them is developed that special "Leitmotiv" technique that in no other work finds such consequential fulfilment as in the last p

arts of Der Ring des Nibelungen. The music takes on a definitely decorative character that also conditions the actual treatment of the orchestra - thus the reason for the immense spreading of the instruments. Here Wagner does not base himself, as in the other operas, on the general homogeneity of sound, but on the greatest possible richness of simple effects, on the use of special colours, in all their intensity of light. All the music has lost any residue of absoluteness and completeness of cha

racter, the pure musical forms are avoided as much as possible. The structure is loosened, often not outlined, sometimes only fragmentary and scarcely unitary. In place of the great symphonic links there are pot-pourri" of grand decorative tone, as for example Siegfried's Journey to the Rhine, the Funeral March in Götterdämmerung. At this point of his discussion Furtwängler notes that in his time 'a certain opposition to Wagner was widespread that was greatly superior to the reaction to the exag

gerated Wagnerian cult of the recent past, There is not only a revolt of the lovers of pure music or poetry compared with the devaluation of their art, a devaluation that is a consequence of the Wagnerian complete work. No, they actually deny Wagner the definitive artistic consecration, as if he did not aim for organic unity, for purity and simplicity, proper to great art, but on the contrary to the connection of heterogeneous parts, juggling with the most varied effects - artistic and not artis

tic - and playing on the indifferentiated instinct of the listeners. These repovals are directed to all the operas and especially to Der Ring. According to Furtwängler, however, the question must be put in other terms since "it depends on the changed function of the music, of its strict collaboration with the gesture and with the stage, on its most majestic specific symptoms". He confirms: "We forget that in Der Ring the intent is different from Wagner's other operas. Certainly the whole refers

more to a superficial outward appearance than to a central nucleus. But how this superficial appearance affects the senses! What inaudible representative efficacy have these visions - Valhalla, the ride of the Walküre, the Feuerzauber! What the music and therefore the poetic intuition loses in consequentiality and unitarity, is substituted by the greater efficacy of the single moment. Would the monumental greatness, the extraordinary ride of the Walküre, the freedom of Siegfried, the colossal di

mensions of Götterdämmerung be possible without that decorative-musical base that, made up of a fabled world, supports and raises all these supemational figures? " In strict assonance with the spirit of this article of his was the preparation of the orchestra and the vocal ensemble for the production ofDer Ring in Baden-Baden that had an enormous success, resulting in. the consequent success of the great maestro in Berlin and afterwards in Bayreuth again with Der Ring. In 1919, in the ''Mannheit

ner Theaterblätter" the producer, Carl Hagemann, spoke in these words of Furtwängler's lesson of the Tetralogy: '"The edition by Furtwängler is scenically not naturalistic and of a very simple formal structure... following the most correct dramaturgic formulation... the overall impression is non-storied. This new production prepared and conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler appeared to be an extraordinarily homogeneous achievement, from a stylistic aspect and an impeccable ensemblistic result ". Othe

r witness recall the serious formulation, the epic intensity of the musical and scenic achievements, the logical coherency linking all factors of the performance, the varying and very ductile expressive sensitivity. Elizabeth Furtwängler in her book of "Memoirs" (see. Italian edition, Fogola 1980), adds, "Furtwängler himself often spoke to me of this edition of Der Ring and above all of the weeks that preceded it, when he was working on the preparation and the greatness of this opera became clea

rer and clearer. He told me: "Actually because of certain limitations of the Baden-Baden stage we were compelled to let the events take place on the stage in a relatively simple way. And I this turned out to be an advantage for Der Ring". (see: works mentioned). These guiding lines of Furtwängler's interpretation of Der Ring des Nibelungen were confirmed by the excellent productions in the thirties at Berlin and Vienna and in the three years, 1936-1938 in Bayreuth and in London, and were again a

cclaimed in the Tetralogy performed at the Scala in spring 1950. Otto Erhardt, whom Furtwängler wished to have as producer of Der Ring, in addition to sharing the conceptions and executive standards of the great conductor, has left a precious record of the last performance ofSiegfried at the Scala. In the wings, on stage, between the Il and Ill acts, Furtwängler suddenly confided to him, in a changed sone of voice: ('I have a certain sensation that this might be the last time that I shall conduc

t Der Ring in a theatre... This Siegfried is really exactly as I always wanted! The hero is an adolescent, full of the joy of life, longing to burn up his youth in love. Obviously a creature in perfect harmony with the sounds and life of nature, the hero of a "Bildungsroman" of youth that comes out of the thickness of the wood to see the light, a personage rich in poetry and candid ingenuity. " (see "Furtwängler im Urteil seiner Zit", Zürich 1955). Again Erhardt recalls Furtwängler's unfailing r

equirements for the scenery and stage direction of Siegfried. For the "Waldesrauschen " a play of light in the wood, an effect near to what he remembered having admired once at the beginning of the century in Munich during a Siegfried conducted by Mottl. "We adhered to his insatiability in this regard only by placing the lights near the foliage of the trees and by shaking the trunks. The other request was to change the scenery between the 1st and 2nd scenes of the Ill act "in full view" of the p

ublic, something that had never before been done in that situation. We did our best, but his scepticism in this regard was only overcome when the solution, experimented many time under his direct supervision, seemed satisfactorily realistic. Also all the stage design for the Ill act passed under the rigorous scrutiny of the conductor, with the first scene prospecting on the background of an infinite space, coinciding with the appearance of Erda at the beginning, and then at the end for Siegfried

's ascent through the flames to the peak. Again at the general rehearsal the desire for perfection that tormented Furtwängler in the visual result of the musical relationship of the Wagnerian story sorely tried my task a producer, and I remember with gratitude the collaboration of the Scala technicians Aurelio Chiodi and Giulio Lupetti. A curtain of gauze was used to improve the vision of that timeless event outside history, interwoven with reality and imagination" (see works mentioned). After t

he Scala première on the 22nd March 1950, Franco Abbiati emphasised the great public success of the production of Siegfried "both for the enchantment of the grandiose symphonic pages strewn throughout, and for the sense of wonderful fantasy aroused by some of its celebrated scenes, such as the forge in the forest and the awakening of Brünnhilde. Apart from the few pauses in the action, caused by the long dialogues of the Wanderer philosopher with Mime, Alberich and Erda, the remainder of the cyc

lopic score once again filled the theatre with admiration, especially in the points where the poem takes up the powerful evolutive throbbing, and also more where the whisper of Wagnerian lyric evocator, occasionally bursting forth by the sole wondrous instrumental suggestions, rises sinuous, vibrant and deeply effective... Furtwängler had indeed prepared a totally impeccable edition of Siegfried. Particularly noticeable were the fruits of his care in the conducting and in the concerted passages,

where together with the praiseworthy intentions of keeping scrupulously in line with movements dictated by Wagner, he had added the evident preoccupation to animate the expressive and coloured changes of the orchestra, that played splendidly" (see: "Corriere della Sera" 23/3/1950). When listening to this recorded edition of Siegfried - (in spite of some imperfections of the sound pick-up, as we know not arranged for recording but only for radiophonic  broadcasting, and sometimes a certain compr

ession in the frequency and intensity range) - we exactly discern the cordinated interpretation of Furtwängler, intended to take this opera, the heart of the Tetralogy, like an spect of the entire Ring, conceived like one dramatic 'lock, articulated but not divided into a Prologue and three Days. If the operas of Der Ring have been compared to he four movements of an immense symphony, then Siegfried deserves this comparison more than the others, as this work effectively possesses the aspects of

a magnificent Scherzo, in no way influenced by the musical context that resolves and concludes in the dark and livid light of Götterdämmerung. Consequently, one hears - conducted by Furtwängler - an impetuous Siegfried pervaded by significant vitality inexorably shown in the entire arc of the performance, so as to lend it the dominating character of a real and true hymn to life. Also to be felt was the joyful and insistent affirmation of freedom of the young hero within an imposing and luxuriant

symphonic frame, and underlined by the orchestra with unheard of weight and authentic chasms of sound were the most luminous moments of a vast expressive range, made with emblematic intensity and mobile, pliant sensitivity. In some instants the sense of the fundamental linear and compact structure of Siegfried escapes Furtwängler, as the work is gathered into four sections, rigorously balanced on the direct relationship between two or three characters at a time, according to a segacious symmetr

ical internal scheme formulated by Wagner, based on dramatic and not only musical reasons. And at the same time Furtwängler always bears in mind that in this opera Siegfried is the absolute centre of action and the constant reference-point of the intercurrent relationship of all the other characters. If in the context of the Tetralogy the vitalistic charge of Siegfried is also a state of mind, the expression of a season of life, heroic and mythical, that coincides with the youth of entire nature

, according to Furtwängler's conception the links with the antecedents and the consequences of the enormous symbolic vision of Der Ring des Nibelungen are clearly recognisable. urthermore, at least two episodes show special expressive evidence: the presentiment of the sinister destiny assigned by fate to the "cleareyed, unselfconscious boy", a presentiment symbolised in the singing of Fafner, wounded to death, singing that is a sort of annunciation of a funeral march; and all the 1st scene of th

e Ill act in which Wotan, by now recognised in the figure of the Wanderer condemned "to watch but no longer to perform " interrogates Erda in vain, and resigned to the inevitable end, chooses renunciation. The extreme plasticity of this scene is broadened by the great conductor up to the premonition of the final destruction, with a dramatic incandescence coloured by the livid shades of death. In the three dense acts of Siegfried, full of the splendour of an orchestration that cannot be compared

for colouristic magic, the leading motifs, consequential to their significance, are unravelled, accentuating their allegorical function until they sometimes become actual metaphors of the drama, like Siegfried's attack on the dragon. Wagner, as is know, desired to concretely present in sound both the aspects of the threatening catastrophe and the obscure negative forces, and on the other hand the revival of spring and the inexhaustible fecundity of nature. Therefore he deliberately availed himse

lf of the modality offered by the ascending chromatism of Tristan and the rhythmic compactness of the experience of Die Meistersinger. Consequently, the shadowy figures, like Mime, Alberich and Fafner, reveal in singing their entangled and winding expressions, completely lacking in breadth and light. n the other hand the positive characters, principally Siegfried and also Brünnhilde, can reveal themselves in a luminous and relaxed vocality that in the solemn moment of Brünnhilde's awakening is t

ransformed into the blinding splendour of C major. In the Scala production of Siegfried it is actually in Furtwängler's interpretative line that this counterposition finds its most exhaustive definition. In the great conductor's interpretative lesson of Siegfried all the scenes in which nature assumed the role of main personage are extraordinarily poetic. Prominent examples are the Waldesrauschen, in which, with tender shading, the timbres of the orchestra illustrate the fabled enchantments and

the mysterious voices of the surrounding world, according to the expressive value most consonant with romantic sensitivity. In this theatrical and executive conception of Furtwängler's, all the vocal protagonists of the Scala Siegfried are stupendous, beginning with Set Svanholm, a vocally robust and heroic Siegfried, at the beginning gay and charming, then more and more aware of his qualities and, in the Finale ardent and passionate in rinding tones and in the stage action. Svanholm (Vasteras 1

904 - Stockholm 1964) sang in Salzburg (1938), in Bayreuth (1948) etc... , and was believed to be the most convincing interpreter of the part ofSiegfried in the ten years after the second  world war, especially for his innate musicianship, his intelligence and dramatic intensity, He was much admire  by Clemens Krauss who engaged him in 1949 in Vienna to sing Tristan. Here, in the part ofSiegfried, he gives an exemplary lesson in the style of singing, nobility of portamento and emission, and with

the abundant range of his vocality adheres perfectly to the phrasing moulded by Furtwängler in the change from the young hero, unrestrained, one with nature, to the fascinating ardour of the meeting with the Walküre. In Siegfried Kirsten Flagstad once again repeats her undisputed success of Die Walküre, and is greatly admired for the extraordinarly luminous phrasing, the fullness, the roudness, the clarity of her remarkable voice. With the splendid metal of a voice that expands with powerful de

nsity of sound, she is also capable of dominating her vocality, so full and abundant, to a mixture of delicacy and sinuosity. lois Pernerstorfer reveals incisively an impatient and tormented Alberich; Elisabeth Höngen, as Fricka, again shows her gifts as an expert singer and intelligent interpreter, already admired in the same part, in Die Walküre; Peter Markwort is a wellbalanced Mime, with the typical features of the part, without histrionic excess; Ludwig Weber, in the short part of Fafner, h

as a luxuriant vigourous voice, with imposing power of suggestion in the cavernous inflections; Josef Herrmann portrays a Wanderer with unusually clear timbre, sometimes almost with a tenor colour, and with the variety of his accents outlining all the bitterness of the character; finally Julia Moor is a twittering and brilliant Waldvogel. In the entire opera, and principally in the first act, the Scala orchestra conforms completely to all the exigencies of the score, showing itself to be an atte

ntive and sensitive instrument of the interpretative line of Wilhelm Furtwängler. END