Day 37: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Haitink)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (WAB 103), nicknamed “Wagner,” is Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink (1929-). The orchestra is Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. I encountered Mr. Haitink twice before: On Day 5 and on Day 21. In both cases, I was pleasantly surprised (to say the least). On Day 5, … [Read more…]

Day 36: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Gielen)

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…]

Day 34: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Chailly)

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…]

Day 33: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Barenboim)

This morning begins a new chapter. Today, I start the next 16-day leg of my 144-day journey – this time, listening to Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (WAB 103), nicknamed “Wagner,” from the perspective of 15 different conductors (Eugen Jochum conducts each symphony twice; in two different box sets). This morning’s conductor of … [Read more…]

Day 31: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Tintner)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony of Pauses” (Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102) is Georg Tintner (1917-1999), the Austrian-born composer/conductor I first heard a couple of years ago on a Classical radio station which was, if I recall correctly, playing one of Tintner’s performances of a Bruckner symphony. UPDATE: November 6th. … [Read more…]

Day 30: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Solti)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony of Pauses” (Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102) is Sir George Solti (1912-1997). From his entry on Wikipedia: Sir Georg Solti, KBE (21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was an orchestral and operatic conductor, best known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt … [Read more…]

Day 29: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Skrowaczewski)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony of Pauses” (Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102) 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 his bio here, and … [Read more…]

Day 28: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Konwitschny)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony of Pauses” (Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102) is German conductor and violist Franz Konwitschny (1901-1962), another person about whom I knew nothing and of whom I had never heard until I started this project. His entry on Wikipedia indicates he was an interesting gentleman, indeed: … [Read more…]

Day 25: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Maazel)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (WAB 102) is American Lorin Maazel (1930-2014), a person about whom I knew nothing and of whom I had never heard until I started this project. I first encountered Mr. Maazel on Day 9, and I wrote this: Maazel’s Allego is sluggish and … [Read more…]

Day 24: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Karajan)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (WAB 102) is Austrian Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989), one of the most highly respected conductors – and interpreters of Anton Bruckner’s music – who ever lived. Incidentally, the image to the left is the number of the CD sleeve. Bruckner’s Second Symphony is … [Read more…]