To be honest, I’m cheating. I haven’t posted this blog post on January 1. In fact I write it on January 20 and have edited the publication date. But it’s something I had been thinking of since January 1: my list of good (discographic) resolutions for 2019 – the ones I know already I WON’T comply with, no way.
– OPEN the hundreds of CD boxes that I’ve purchased and not opened since 2016 and Trump’s election, and sort out all those CDs (no, not actually LISTEN to them, I can’t do that in a year, 100 is more likely: just list them and put them up for further listening).
– Transfer from Amazon my reviews of Mahler, Schubert’s two quintets, Toscanini (that is to oblige Laurence Levine who had again some very kind words for me in an exchange over here), Beethoven’s Concertos and I’ll probably think of a few other cycles to boot…. [a postscript and reminder to myself: Gossec, Cowell, Henry Brant, Ten Holt, Tippett, Malipiero’s symphonies…]
– Complete listening to and reviewing my many recordings of Mahler’s symphonies, Beethoven’s Concertos and Symphonies, Schubert’s 8th and 9th, last String Quartets… Bach’s B-minor Mass and Goldberg Variations…. Brahms’ Concertos… Bartòk, Stravinsky, Honegger….
– Hey, maybe even transfer over here from Amazon my great Mercury discography (78s and early LPs, and CD reissues) and publish here my great, huge and complete discographies of defunct CD labels, Vanguard, Dante, Adda, Collins Classics, and many others that I maintain. Oh, and my great Tippett discography, of course. [afterthought 30 January:] And Concerto Köln.
– Digitalize, listen to and review the few LPs that I have bought these last few years (some rare Soviet Honeggers, Tippett, Swingle Singers – stuff never reissued to CD) and maybe some of the unreissued LPs that had already been in my collection.
That’s enough for 2019 and 2020 (I’m cheating again: I’ll constantly add on to this list as new ideas and wishes come to mind). I’ll use this list not as an injuction, but as a reminder of my wishes at the begining of the year.