My “office” today is the second floor of the local library.
I love this place.
But you already knew that.
Give me a book store or library any day and I’m a very, very happy man.
If I could, I’d live in a book store or library.
Of course, some would say I already do given how our living room looks.
And that’s not even all the book cases we have in the house.
My wife says she’s going to kill me if I buy one more book.
(I guess I’d better hide the Amazon order when it arrives Sunday.)
Moving right along…
This afternoon, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in A Major (WAB 106) interpreted by Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal (1936-).
I heard Maestro Inbal on five 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, Symphony No. 4.
And again, most recently, on Day 29, Symphony No. 5.
If you want to read what I thought of his interpretations, let your fingers do the clicking to those days gone by.
Otherwise, read on…
Here are the objective stats about today’s performance:
Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in A Major (WAB 106), composed 1879–1881
Eliahu Inbal conducts
Inbal used the ??? version (no version listed anywhere)
Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt plays
The symphony clocks in at 58:56
This was recorded in Frankfurt, Germany, in September of 1989
Inbal was 53 when he conducted it
Bruckner was 57 when he finished composing it (the first time)
This recording was released on the Warner Classics & Jazz label/Teldec Classics label
Bruckner wrote his symphonies in four movements. The time breakdown of this one (Symphony No. 6 in A Major), from this particular conductor (Inbal) and this particular orchestra (Frankfurt Radio Symphony) is as follows:
I: Majestoso…………………………………………………………………………………………………………18:00
II: Adagio. Sehr feierlich (Very solemnly)……………………………………………………………17:11
III: Scherzo. Nicht schnell (Not fast) — Trio. Langsam (Slowly)…………………………..8:40
IV: Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (With motion, but not too fast)………..15:03
Total Time: 58:56
Here are the subjective aspects:
My Rating:
Recording quality: 3
Overall musicianship: 4
CD liner notes: 3 (very thin booklet, sparse essay about Bruckner translated into English, German, and French; no information at all about Eliahu Inbal)
How does this make me feel: 4
This is an okay performance. Solid. Sturdy. Dependable.
Like an old pair of shoes.
Some of this is quite good, like the Lawrence of Arabia-like Majestoso. Or the bold Scherzo.
The Finale seemed a little limp by comparison.
But, overall, this was a fine performance.
Just not really one I’d recommend to others.
The recording quality is off, to my ears. It doesn’t have the depth and space of some other recordings that I enjoy more.