I love Beethoven's music. And perhaps the most famous Beethoven conductor is Wilhelm Furtwanger (1886-1954), a controversial figure because of his alleged ties to the Nazis. But the fact is that Furtwangler never joined the Nazi party and did not approve of them. After World War Two he was charged with supporting the Nazis, but he was eventually cleared on all counts.
Furtwangler's recorded performances of the Beethoven symphonies are among the best, if not the best. The recordings made during the war are the most intense I've ever heard. The Fifth and Ninth Symphonies recorded in the 1940's are especially good. If you love classical music and haven't heard Furtwangler's Beethoven recordings, you owe it to yourself to listen to some of these performances.
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