Editing Wilhelm Furtwängler (section)

=== New York Philharmonic ===

In September 1935, the baritone Oskar Jölli, a member of the Nazi party, reported to the Gestapo that Furtwängler had said, "Those in power should all be shot, and things in Germany would not change until this was done".{{sfn|Prieberg|1991|p=188}} Hitler forbade him to conduct for several months, until Furtwängler's fiftieth birthday in January 1936.{{sfn|Roncigli|2009|p=104}} Hitler and Goebbels allowed him to conduct again and offered him presents: Hitler an annual pension of 40,000 Reichsmarks, and Goebbels an ornate baton made of gold and ivory. Furtwängler refused them.<ref name="Audrey Roncigli 2009, p. 52"/>{{sfn|Prieberg|1991|p=191}}{{sfn|Riess|1953|p=155}}

Furtwängler was offered the principal conductor's post at the [[New York Philharmonic]], which was then the most desirable and best paid position in international musical life.{{sfn|Riess|1953|p=156}} He was to have followed [[Arturo Toscanini]], who had declared that Furtwängler was the only man to succeed him.<ref name="Curt Riess 1953, p. 157">{{harvnb|Riess|1953|p=157}}</ref><ref>[[Harvey Sachs]] (1995), ''Toscanini'', Prima Lifestyles {{ISBN|978-0761501374}}</ref> Furtwängler accepted the post, but his telephone conversations were recorded by the Gestapo.<ref name="Ardoin 1994-2"/>

While Furtwängler was travelling, the Berlin branch of the [[Associated Press]] leaked a news story on [[Hermann Göring]]'s orders.{{sfn|Riess|1953|pp=157–159}} It suggested Furtwängler would probably be reappointed as director of the Berlin State Opera and of the Berlin Philharmonic.<ref name="Audrey Roncigli 2009, p. 52"/><ref name="Curt Riess 1953, p. 157"/> This caused the mood in New York to turn against him: it seemed that Furtwängler was now a supporter of the Nazi Party.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,856244,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131034044/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,856244,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=31 January 2011 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]| title=Music: Partisans on the Podium | date=25 April 1949}}</ref> On reading the American press reaction, Furtwängler chose not to accept the position in New York. Nor did he accept any position at the Berlin Opera.