Last Thursday, July 11, renowned Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt celebrated his 97th birthday. Sidelined by a serious fall in December of 2023, Blomstedt resumed his conducting schedule last April; and with numerous upcoming engagements, centered in Leipzig, Dresden, and Paris, he shows no signs of slowing down. This year, in celebration of Blomstedt’s birthday, the Bamberg Symphony played I denna ljuva sommartid, a Swedish summer psalm which holds significance for the conductor.
Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 begins on the edge of silence, with mysterious, primal open fifths, and concludes with Friedrich Schiller’s stirring declaration of universal brotherhood, the “Ode to Joy.” We will return to this epic work in future posts. For now, let’s listen without further commentary.
This performance, recorded at New Year’s in 2016, features Blomstedt and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, with soloists Simona Saturova (soprano), Mihoko Fujimura (alto), Christian Elsner (tenor), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), and the Leipzig Radio Choir.
Recordings
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Simona Saturova, Mihoko Fujimura, Christian Elsner, Christian Gerhaher, MDR Rundfunkchor Accentus.com
Featured Image: photograph by Gert Mothes