When I explored the symphonic works of Anton Bruckner a few years ago, I came across Otto Klemperer (1885-1973) and was surprised to discover a lot of fun thing about him, first and foremost of which is that he was considered one of the great conductors of the 20th century. I had never heard of … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major is, once again, Herbert von Karajan – this time from the legendary 1977 cycle. As with his performance in the 1963 cycle, the orchestra for the ’77 is still the Berliner Philharmoniker. (I wonder if any musicians from 1977 were present at the recording … [Read more…]
Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) scares me. The Cult of Karajan is a powerful one, with many music aficionados revering him and the ground he walked on. I’ve tried to separate that – with varying degrees of success – from my listening experiences with the late Maestro. His bio on Wikipedia doesn’t make it … [Read more…]
If I recall my conductors correctly, German Eugen Jochum (1902-1987) was one of the best of the best when it came to Anton Bruckner’s symphonies. I know because I listened to Jochum 18 times as he conducted Bruckner’s nine symphonies from two different box sets. (See 144 Days With Bruckner And Me.) I think I … [Read more…]
I like Bernard Haitink. A lot. I remember Amsterdam-born Maestro Haitink (1929- ) from my Bruckner projects a year or so ago (see My Year-Long Project page). That’s why I chose him for my Beethoven project. There was something about Haitink that stood out from almost all other conductors to which I listened. Could have … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor is the legendary Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954). The orchestra is the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic). The venue is the Royal Albert Hall in London. Maestro Furtwangler died two years after this recording was made. I first encountered Wilhelm Furtwangler during my Bruckner projects. Something about him – maybe I just like saying his … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor is Belgian-born Andre Cluytens (1905-1967). The orchestra is the world-famous Orchestre Philharmonique De Berlin, which was founded in 1882. I had never heard of Maestro Cluytens before I chose him for this project. But, that’s part of the reason why I did. Plus, the cover of the CD box set looked different … [Read more…]
This morning, as I sit on my balcony overlooking the lake, I sip a cup of Chick-fil-A coffee, watch a “flotilla” of geese swimming in single file from right to left across my field of vision, and listen to Karl Bohm (1894-1981) conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as they perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in … [Read more…]
A couple of years ago (April 15, 2014 – July 9, 2014, to be exact), I listened to everything Beethoven composed as part of a (failed) three-year exploration of great works that I called 1095 Days With The Masters And Me. (You can read about why my three-year project failed on the My Year-Long Project … [Read more…]
I find it hard to believe that I’ve lived some 58 years and I don’t recall ever hearing anything conducted by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). Which is a shame because his interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major is energetic, vivid, and dynamic. In the liner notes to this Deutsche Grammophon set, Bernstein wrote, … [Read more…]