Day 132: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Cluytens)

My listening post tonight is with a glass of cold rice milk and two slices of pumpkin bread to my right, liner notes to my left, and Season Five, CD 2, Episode 6 (“The Game“) of Star Trek: The Next Generation playing in the far background. I have to say a word about Star Trek: … [Read more…]

Day 131: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Bohm)

My listening post this morning is at the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named where I can watch a wide variety of people come and go, eat, chat, and enjoy each other’s company – all while the only thing I hear this morning is Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981), Wiener Philharmoniker, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F major. The … [Read more…]

Day 130: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Blomstedt)

My listening post this morning is Bagel Beanery. Even my ninja liked my choice. Hungry little fella. While I sit here watching customers enter and leave, and the cars go to and fro outside (as opposed to what – to and fro inside?), I’m listening to American-Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt (1927- ), Staatskapelle Dresden, and … [Read more…]

Day 129: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Bernstein)

My listening post this morning is New Beginnings Restaurant, an hour after it opened. It’s empty in here because of the snow storm we had overnight. We only got about two or three inches. But it’s icy, and this is the first major winter storm of the season. So all schools are closed, and drivers … [Read more…]

Day 128: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Barenboim)

With the 1960s folk band The Seekers playing in the background, a cup of Trader Joe’s Light Roast coffee beside me, and Judith Durham‘s dulcet tones in my ears – at least, before I pop in my earbuds, at which time Argentine conductor Daniel Barenboim (1942- ), Staatskapelle Berlin, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in … [Read more…]

Day 127: Symphony No. 8 in F major (Abbado)

My listening post this morning is my home, so early in the morning the lights inside don’t seem to be able to pierce the darkness coming in from without. If it weren’t for the cup of coffee beside me (Trader Joe’s Light Roast), my eyelids would start to droop. (And, by that, I don’t mean … [Read more…]

Day 126: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Zinman)

Today marks the end of my journey through Beethoven’s Seventh, as interpreted by 17 different conductors in 18 different CD box sets. (Remember: Herbert von Karajan got two box sets in this cycle because Karajan.) Tomorrow, I start all over again with the letter “A” for “Abbado.” Only this time, I listen to Beethoven’s Symphony … [Read more…]

Day 125: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Wand)

Today is Thanksgiving Day in America. On this day, we often make a big meal – usually consisting of turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and pies of all kinds – and we eat this feast with family and/or friends. Ostensibly, we take time today to give thanks for whomever or whatever we … [Read more…]

Day 124: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Szell)

My listening post this morning is the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named where I am partaking of their signature Light Roast coffee, an Asiago bagel (toasted twice) with cream cheese…and a side of Hungarian conductor George Szell (1897-1970), the Cleveland Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major. The latter was BYO, by the way. They don’t actually … [Read more…]

Day 123: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Rattle)

My listening post this morning is my happy place: the second floor of our local library. Tiny snow flakes are gently falling. A bottle of Evamor water sits to my left, a notepad with a fresh sheet of paper to my right. As is well with my soul. Or, it would be if I were … [Read more…]