Day 61: Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (Skrowaczewski)

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…]

Day 57: Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (Maazel)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major (WAB 104), titled “Romantic” by Bruckner himself, is American Lorin Maazel (1930-2014), a person about whom I knew nothing and, in fact, of whom I had never heard until I started this 144-day project. I encountered Mr. Maazel three times previously: On … [Read more…]

Day 26: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Masur)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (WAB 102) is Kurt Masur (1927-2015), another person about whom I knew nothing and of whom I had never heard until I started this project. He was born in Germany and died just last year at the age of 88 in Greenwich, Connecticut, … [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…]

Day 23: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Jochum)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony of Pauses” (Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102) is, once again, Eugen Jochum (1902-1987). I first encountered Mr. Jochum on Day 6 of my 144-day journey. I first listened to his conducting of the Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra (which is what I’m hearing right now) on Day … [Read more…]

Day 9: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Maazel)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (WAB 101) is American Lorin Maazel (1930-2014), a person about whom I knew nothing and, in fact, of whom I had never heard until I started this project. According to his entry on Wikipedia, Maazel, was an American conductor, violinist and composer. Making … [Read more…]

Day 6: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Jochum)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (WAB 101) is German-born Eugen Jochum (1902-1987), unarguably one of the most highly respected interpreters of Anton Bruckner’s music who ever lived. I have two CD box sets conducted by Jochum – this one, on the DG label, and one I’ll crack open … [Read more…]