Furtwangler's Love

By any standard, German Wilhelm Furtw?ngler reigns as one of the most formidable maestro/composers of the 20th century. A prodigious talent who began authoring original compositions by the age of 17, Berlin-born Furtw?ngler then took his first bows as a conductor at the age of 20. The most remarkable of all careers followed, with covetable directorships at various symphonies throughout Europe, and an unswerving opposition to fascism that prompted him to aid Jewish performers under persecution and to refuse conducting duties at Nazi rallies. Over time, he became known for his immense adoration of Ludwig von Beethoven, his knack for programming musical events, and his willingness to champion the musicians of the day, in addition to his flair for spontaneous classical interpretation. The title of director Jan Schmidt-Garre's loosely-knit essay film Furtw?ngler's Love carries a quadruple meaning: it refers to his romantic and nuptial love for spouse Elisabeth, his passion for conducting, his adoration for writing original classical compositions, and the fact that he viewed every act of artistic expression and creation as one of love. In the film, Schmidt-Garre riffs on each of these subtopics, via a combination of interview material with Furtw?ngler and his wife, archival performance footage and much more.