This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major (WAB 105) – nicknamed “Tragic,” “Church of Faith,” or “Pizzicato” symphony (for reasons I’m still discovering), is German-born Michael Gielen (1927-). The orchestra is SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Frieburg. I had never heard of Michael Gielen prior to starting my project back in … [Read more…]
Before I type a word about my project this morning, I need to express my sorrow at the passing of Greg Lake, the “L” of ELP, and one of the founding members of King Crimson. I interviewed Greg at length via phone in the mid to late 1990s. I met him in London, and then … [Read more…]
Just wanted to let everyone know about a very cool Facebook group devoted to Anton Bruckner, which you can find here. It’s a robust group, with many active members, people who are passionate about the group’s namesake, as well as music in general. Check them out. Now, on to our regularly scheduled program… This morning’s … [Read more…]
This morning starts a brand new symphony as well as the next 16-day leg of my 144-day journey through the symphonic works of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). My listening space this morning is Baker Book House, one of the largest and greatest bookstores in the Midwest. Their hours are 7am to 11pm. Let that … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (WAB 104), titled “Romantic” by Bruckner himself, is Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (1923-), the famed Polish-born artist who even has a web site with a cool name: Seeking The Infinite, which is also the title of a biography about him. You can find it … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (WAB 104), titled “Romantic” by Bruckner himself, is Vienna-born Roberto Paternostro (1957?-), another person about whom I knew nothing and of whom I had never heard until I started this project. And, truth be told, still know very little about since there’s … [Read more…]
First of all, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all who celebrate this North American holiday. This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (WAB 104), titled “Romantic” by Bruckner himself, is Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink (1929-). The orchestra is Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. I encountered Bernard Haitink thrice before in my 144-day project. … [Read more…]
This morning begins a new symphony, a return to the first conductor in my 16-day cycle, and a whole bunch of new stuff to learn and hear. So, with a cup of Eight O’clock Coffee by my side, and sleep crusties still in my eyes (it’s 6am, y’all), I begin listening to… Symphony No. 4 … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (WAB 103), nicknamed “Wagner,” is German-born Michael Gielen (1927-). The orchestra is SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Frieburg. I encountered Mr. Gielen twice before: On Day 4 and on Day 20. On Day 4, I wrote this: This is an odd one for me. … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (WAB 103), nicknamed “Wagner,” is Italian Riccardo Chailly (1953-). The orchestra is Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. I first encountered Mr. Chailly on Day 2. My second encounter with Chailly occurred on Day 18. I need to remind myself what’s going on with Symphony No. … [Read more…]