old masters subtitled a comedy is a novel by the austrian writer thomas bernhard which was first published in 1985 it tells of the life and opinions of reger a musical philosopher through the voice of his acquaintance atzbacher a private academicthe book is set in vienna on one day around the year of its publication 1985 reger is an 82yearold music critic who writes pieces for the times for over thirty years he has sat on the same bench in front of tintorettos whitebearded man in the bordone room of the kunsthistorisches museum for four or five hours of the morning of every second day he finds this environment the one in which he can do his best thinking he is aided in this habit by the gallery attendant irrsigler who prevents other visitors from using the bench when reger requires it