Day 6: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Jochum)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (WAB 101) is German-born Eugen Jochum (1902-1987), unarguably one of the most highly respected interpreters of Anton Bruckner’s music who ever lived. I have two CD box sets conducted by Jochum – this one, on the DG label, and one I’ll crack open … [Read more…]

Day 5: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Haitink)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (WAB 101) is Netherlands-born Bernard Haitink (1929-), who conducted his first concert in 1954. Haitink’s entry on Wikipedia tells us he has something in common with another conductor I’ll be listening to very shortly: His conducting debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra was on … [Read more…]

Day 4: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Gielen)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor is Michael Gielen (1927-), an Austrian conductor and composer with a very long and lauded career who just recently (2014) retired from conducting for health reasons. Gielen, like conductor Riccardo Chailly, chose Bruckner’s revised (1891) Vienna version of Symphony No. 1 in C … [Read more…]

Day 2: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Chailly)

This morning’s conductor of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (WAB 101) is Italian Riccardo Chailly (1953-). The orchestra is Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. There is an important distinction between this version of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 and the one I heard yesterday. Barenboim used the Linz version. Chailly used the Vienna version. So … [Read more…]

Day 1: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Barenboim)

This morning starts 144 consecutive days of exploring the symphonic works of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). It’s 144 days because there are nine symphonies and 16 box sets (9×16=144), representing some 14-17 different conductors who recorded Bruckner over the last 50-60 years in venues around the world. I decided to listen to the symphonies … [Read more…]