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Newsletter - April 1, 2025

Newsletter - April 1, 2025

Newsletter - April 1, 2025
Welcome to the Newsletter from Abruckner.com!

As of March 31st the Discography Database and the Bruckner Archive Database have been updated. The underlined headlines below will take you to the various sections of the website where the bullet points below are featured. Please use these as guides to the new information offered since the last newsletter.

Newsletter - April 1, 2025

As of this writing, the sorting of the Bruckner Archive for shipment to the Austrian Mediathek is about halfway done. The first part of the project was to ensure that the Mediathek would get the Bruckner recordings housed in those fancy multi disc conductor or orchestra anthology sets. This required digitizing these performances so that the library would get the Bruckner recordings (via file transfer) rather than sending a bulky boxed set where Bruckner only accounts for one or two recordings.

The next step has been to identify the recordings that have already been digitized by me. Since that will be the way the library will eventually store this material, there is little need for me to send away the CD – with the resulting shipping expense.

Once that is done, I must sort through each CD to check if there are duplicates within the collection. If one is found, one recording is placed in a shipping carton and the entry is removed from my database. The other copy is flagged with a green sticker indicating that one has already been removed for donation.

If no duplicate is found, then the CD is donated and the corresponding file is deleted from my database. This is often a painful experience and if the dissonance is too great, then the recording is digitized and the actual CD remains with me.

Being near the halfway point gives me a good opportunity to estimate the final result. At present, it appears that 25 cartons (15” x 15” x 6”) each weighing 20 pounds will be shipped. Present estimates bring the cost to $3,500.

About a week ago, the Mediathek was able to look at its budget and they were able to offer $1,500 towards the shipping cost. The Bruckner Society of America is looking favorably toward matching the Mediathek’s contribution, so that puts me close to reaching the goal of covering all shipping costs.

Please continue to browse through my webstore since purchases will help fund this project. Duplicate CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs continue to be added to the “Bargains and Collectibles” section of my store.
As the Bruckner discography database continues to grow, the Bruckner Archive is gradually shrinking as a result of the donation, but new recordings continue to come in.


If you enjoy receiving my Newsletter, then you are sure to enjoy reading "The Bruckner Journal." The Journal is published online three times a year and each issue contains up to sixty pages of essays, recording and concert reviews and lists of upcoming concerts worldwide. The "Bruckner Journal" is now the official publication of the Bruckner Society of America. For a $30.00 annual fee, you receive access to the Society's webpage archive and access to the "Bruckner Journal." Subscribe today at www.brucknersocietyamerica.org.

CASH REWARD FOR WANTED RECORDINGS. Click here for details.

LATEST NEWS AND POSTINGS

  • Any news about Bruckner that reaches my desk is posted here. After a while, interesting stories are moved to the FEATURES SECTION (below).


THE BRUCKNER ARCHIVE

  • The Bruckner Archive recording database (with over 11,296 listings) has been updated and it is easy to download as an Excel file. Many of these recordings are available to collectors and researchers. Contact me for details on how you can fill in some holes in your collection. The database is fully sortable including the ability to sort by performance date!


EDITOR'S SECTION

  • There are many subjects covered here. While the topics remain relatively static, the sections themselves are frequently updated, so make it a point to check out the various subjects under this heading.


NEW AND FEATURED RELEASES

  • A listing of new releases and exclusive recordings - many currently available in my webstore.


FUTURE RELEASES AND RECENT DISCOVERIES

  • A listing of future releases and recordings that have recently been discovered.


DOWNLOADS

  • A collection of wonderful downloads including scores and the always popular DOWNLOAD OF THE MONTH.


WEB STORE

  • The web store focuses on new Bruckner recordings and other Bruckner recordings that are not generally available. The store is divided up into sections for CDs and DVDs, books and scores, downloads, bargain samples and collectibles. Be sure to check out each section for new items. My focus is on new releases and hard-to-find items.



FEATURES

  • As stories in the LATEST NEWS AND POSTINGS section get older, those that are still relevant get moved into the FEATURES SECTION. There is a wealth of information here that you may have missed when they were first posted.


ARTICLES / GRAPHICS

  • Essays in English and other languages are entered as they are discovered or accepted.

  • New graphics (over 1,400) are frequently added.


PLEASE SUPPORT THIS SITE All the information provided on this site is available to you free-of-charge. But it is not free for me to get it to you. Recordings must be purchased as does the server space upon which this website is stored. There is an easy way for you to support this venture. Simply purchase recordings and other items in my web store. Purchases will support the ongoing expenses of operating this website.

Stay safe and happy listening!

John F. Berky