Monthly Archives: February 2010

The Contract from Hell That Wasn’t

Paul Anton Esterházy, one of the toniest aristocrats of the Hapsburg territories, needed a new kapellmeister. Old age was taking its inevitable toll on Gregor Joseph Werner, nor had the old-school Esterházy kapellmeister kept up with the musical tsunami that … Continue reading

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Moi in Prose

A few more items from my fevered pen/wordprocessor have reached the Internet. They are: A program note on Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6, to be performed this coming week with that fine musician Herbert Blomstedt at the helm of the SFS. … Continue reading

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It’s Not Really All That Expensive

At this point I’ve crossed the Rubicon that separates the hi-fi enthusiast from the audiophile, having added a pair of B&W 803D speakers to my living room. There they stand, Fasolt and Fafner, four feet each of cherrywood majesty, capped … Continue reading

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Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Although for some folks the word “research” conjures up images of musty graybeards poring endlessly over yellowing volumes in mouldering libraries, research can be a lively and downright delectable activity. Of late I’ve been indulging my penchant for the art, … Continue reading

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Heroic Symphony

Last fall I wrote liner notes for the SF Symphony’s new CD series, the “Keeping Score” companions. Each CD is the music-only version of one of the popular video programs. Due to space limitations (particularly given the need for multiple … Continue reading

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The Joys of British Music

American audiences tend to be unfamiliar with English concert music. Surely this constitutes one of life’s little ironies, considering that this nation was founded as a British colony and still retains a significant percentage of citizens who are of English … Continue reading

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