Day 68: Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major (Monteux)

This morning, under mostly cloudy skies and a temperature of just 56 degrees F., I’m glad to be inside, in another of my Happy Places: a Chick-fil-A restaurnt. But I’m not alone. I have my ninja to keep me company. I like to think he’s a friend. But he’s a ninja. So, like our cat, … [Read more…]

Day 64: Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major (Karajan)

My office this morning is, once again, Chick-fil-A – one of my favorite restaurants, especially at breakfast time. It’s quiet, not crowded, and they serve (“My pleasure!”) a fine cuppa Joe. I like their cheesy advertisements, too. All that cow stuff. (Cows telling people to “Eat Mor Chikin”.) It’s corny. But I think it’s clever … [Read more…]

Day 55: Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major (Abbado)

My office this morning is the one and only Chick-fil-A, a restaurant chain run so well, so politely, serving such delicious food that it ought to be a crime to not eat here. Today starts a whole new cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies for me, which means I’m back to the “A” in my conductor roster: … [Read more…]

Day 49: Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major (Konwitschny)

Because I love Chick-fil-A restaurants so much, I’m back here again, this time listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major as rendered by Franz Konwitschny, the quirky German conductor who always delivers a fine performance but who isn’t as well known these days as he probably should be. From his bio on … [Read more…]

Day 48: Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major (Klemperer)

This morning, I am sitting at a nearby Chick-fil-A restaurant. The sun has just risen. The sky is overcast. The time is 7:33am. My wife joined me this morning because, technically, we’re both on vacation for the next few days. And yet here we are – me at my blog and she and her laptop … [Read more…]