This evening, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (WAB 109), interpreted by Argentine-born pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim (1942-), whom I saw conduct the Staatskapelle Berlin in a performance of Bruckner’s Eighth at Carnegie Hall on January 28th of this year. (I’ll never stop bragging about that. It was … [Read more…]
Here was my “office” last week, at least on one of the mornings. This picture was taken following an overnight rain shower. By mid day it was sunny again: My week at the monastery was sublime. I’d live there if I could. This particular blog isn’t the place to recount my experiences, insights, and research … [Read more…]
I will be taking a vacation from this blog for one week, starting Saturday, April 22. Next week (April 23-29) I will be on a silent retreat in a monastery in rural Kentucky. Limited Internet access. No phone signal. Just me, nature, the monks, a few books, and my thoughts. But no Bruckner blog. I … [Read more…]
My “office” this morning is Bagel Beanery, a different one from where I was awhile back. This particular bagel shop is one my wife and I frequent, partly because we love bagels and partly because it’s on the way to our respective offices. Their coffee is quite good, too. So, this morning as I eat … [Read more…]
This morning, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (WAB 108), interpreted by German-born conductor and composer Otto Klemperer (1885-1973). Prior to this Bruckner project, I had never heard of Otto Klemperer – although I had heard of his son, actor Werner Klemperer, most famous for his portrayal of Col. … [Read more…]
My “office” this morning is, once again, the local library. I love this place. So, here I sit, listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (WAB 108), interpreted by Polish-born German conductor Marek Janowski (1939-). Maestro Janowski’s orchestra is Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. If you want to know what I thought … [Read more…]
This morning, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (WAB 108), interpreted by Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal (1936-). I heard Maestro Inbal on seven previous days: On Day 3, Symphony No. 1. And on Day 8, Symphony No. 2. And on Day 14, Symphony No. 3. And on Day 21, … [Read more…]
This morning, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (WAB 108), interpreted by the legendary German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954). This time, his orchestra is the Wiener Philharmoniker, also known as the Vienna Philharmonic. I’m not going to repeat the background on Maestro Furtwangler, although I do suggest … [Read more…]
My “office” this morning is the library, one of my favorite places to be. When I was a kid, I loved the library and spent hours there, sitting on the floor beside stacks of books stretching as far as the eye could see, reading. Then, I’d check out a load of books that nearly dwarfed … [Read more…]
This evening, as Season 1 Episode 10 of Grimm plays in the background, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (WAB 108), interpreted by Argentine-born pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim (1942-), whom I saw conduct the Staatskapelle Berlin in a performance of Bruckner’s Eighth at Carnegie Hall on January 28th … [Read more…]