Wilhelm Furtwangler was delighted to see that Roger Wimbush drew attention to the new series of Furtwangler recordings currently appearing on the Unicorn label ("Here and There"—October issue), also that space was found to publish the photograph of the conductor with Walter Legge, which I do not recall having previously seen.

However, as this series is being published in association with The Wilhelm Furtwangler Society, perhaps I could correct some errors which appeared in Mr Wimbush's column before we are deluged with queries from members and other readers who will, we hope, purchase the records when they appear. First, on the matter of recording dates, some are prior to 1946. In particular, the two-disc Wagner set contains the famous 1938 Berlin Philharmonic recordings of the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod and the Prelude and Good Friday Music from Parsifal. This error does not invalidate Mr Wimbush's comment that the recordings should be good, because all the material in the series which derives from 78 rpm originals is being newly transferred in the EMI studios under the supervision of Tony Griffith, whose splendid work in the WRC Historical Series has often justly been praised in your columns. He has a special affection for some of these Furtwangler records from the early post-war period, having supervised the technical work at the original recording sessions in Vienna.

Much of the other material derives from radio tapes of public concerts in the late 1940s, preserved in the archives of various stations. The sound quality achieved was invariably of a higher standard than that of commercial studio processes of the time. These tapes also have the tremendous added advantage (particularly with a conductor like

Furtwangler) of being 'live', thereby capturing some of the atmosphere of the actual concerts. The Beethoven Eighth Symphony, to be released in February 1972, falls into this category. It was not a studio broadcast as stated, but part of an all-Beethoven concert with the Stockholm Philharmonic in the Stockholm Konserthus given on November 13th, 1948. The rehearsal of Leonore Overture No. 3 which took place the previous day will be followed on the record by the complete performance of the overture from the same concert. It is worth stressing that this will be the first Beethoven 8th of Furtwangler to have appeared. When the series is completed early in 1973, we shall have for the first time an almost complete cycle of the Beethoven Symphonies under this great conductor. (At the moment No. 2 has not materialised, but there is time yet!)

Finally, the Brahms Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic (also a public performance) is No. 3 and not No. 2 as stated. This is due in January 1972 and it is correct that the coupling is Leonare Overture No. 2, recorded by EMI in Berlin, April 1954—Furtwangler's last recording except for the Vienna Die Walkiire, now deleted to make way for the long awaited complete Rome Ring referred to by the Editor.

The Wilhelm PAUL J. MINCHIN,

Furtwangler Society, Chairman.

Leicester.