I made it! Today is the last day of my 144-day journey of discovery of the conductors who and symphonies that interpreted Anton Bruckner’s nine major symphonies. It’s also the last time I will set foot in a Panera restaurant. Yesterday, I had to leave one Panera because their Internet kept slowing down to a … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s unfinished Symphony No. 9 in D Minor WAB 109 (dedicated “to the beloved God”) is German-born Gunter Wand (1912-2002). The orchestra is new to me, even though I’ve heard a lot of Wand and a lot of symphonies in the past 130 days: Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR. Back when … [Read more…]
This is the last day of listening to Bruckner’s Eighth! Tomorrow starts a new chapter – Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, which (as Nigel Tufnel tells us) is “the saddest of all keys.” Actually, this time Nigel may be right since Anton Bruckner died before he could finish his Ninth. This morning’s conductor … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 in E Major (WAB 107) is Soviet-born Israeli Yuri Ahronovitch (1932-2002). The orchestra is Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. I’ve been listening to Bruckner’s symphonies for nearly 100 days (that’s over three months in people years), and this is the first time those names have come up. Also, … [Read more…]
This morning, I begin a new cycle of Bruckner conductors (it’s about time!) all of of whom will show me what they’ve got as they interpret Bruckner’s Seventh. Because this is the start of a new cycle, I thought I’d see a familiar locale in a new way. This is the upper level of a … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in A Major (WAB 106) is Hungarian-born Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997), an artist with a long and noteworthy career. I first heard Sir Georg Solti on Day 14 of my 144-day journey, Symphony No. 1. Then again on Day 30, Symphony No. 2. And again Day … [Read more…]
My “office” this morning. Back to the loft at a local Panera Bread Co. Now I know why my cat likes high places. I like the view from here. Been doing a lot of pondering lately. Mortality. Especially the passing of iconic actress Debbie Reynolds one day after the passing of her famous daughter, Carrie. … [Read more…]