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…]
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…]
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…]