My listening post this morning, Christmas morning, is in front of the tree (now laden with presents to be unwrapped later today), with our cat sitting, ludicrously, in the middle of the floor, and the 1947 holiday movie The Bishop’s Wife on in the background. The Bishop’s Wife is a classic through and through. It … [Read more…]
My listening post this morning is way early – somewhere around 5am – with an episode of The Andy Griffith Show as background. The Andy G. episode is called “Andy and the New Mayor,” and it first aired on October 15, 1962. For my money, there’s no finer character ever written for TV than Barney … [Read more…]
My listening post this evening is with the TV series Grimm in the background, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to my left, and a fresh page of a note pad to my right. (If you’ve never seen Grimm, you owe it to yourself. It’s a great cop show set in Portland, Oregon. It’s like a … [Read more…]
My listening post today is the same as it was yesterday. Same lake view. Same gray skies. Same cat tower, only – this time – sans chat. There’s one major difference: The conductor and the orchestra. Today, I find myself listening to French-American conductor Pierre Monteux (1875-1964), the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. … [Read more…]
My “office” this morning is the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named for coffee and a bagel. And, of course, a helping of Hungarian-born American conductor and composer George Szell (1897-1970), the Cleveland Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. Hot dog! Do I have a couple of hours lined up for myself, or what? I have to … [Read more…]
My listening post this evening is in my recliner in front of the TV, with the classic movie The Dirty Dozen playing in the background. In the foreground is French conductor Pierre Monteux (1875-1964), the Boston Symphony, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, I can assure you. In my … [Read more…]
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…]
This morning, I am listening to American conductor David Zinman (1936- ), Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major. Prior to my Beethoven project, I had only vaguely heard of Maestro Zinman. According to his bio on Wikipedia, “[Zinman] then worked in Maine with Pierre Monteux from 1958 to 1962, … [Read more…]
I have a love/hate relationship with Fall. On the love side, I dig the cooler temperatures, the lower humidity, and the snap in the air. As Fall progresses (at least, here in Michigan) I enjoy the changing colors on the trees. October is my favorite month, partly because of Ray Bradbury’s incomparable book Something Wicked … [Read more…]
My office this morning while I blog is New Beginnings restaurant. My breakfast is a Mexican chicken all white meat omelette with jalapenos inside and enough Frank’s RedHot and Tabasco sauce on top to make my eyes water. Yummy. I first encountered Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) – and I do mean the first; I didn’t run … [Read more…]