Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 "Unfinished" & 9 "The Great" Gewandhausorchester & Herbert Blomstedt

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished":
• 1 Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished": I. Allegro moderato 14:58
• 2 Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished": II. Andante con moto 11:06
• Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "The Great":
• 3 Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "The Great": I. Andante - Allegro ma non troppo 15:27
• 4 Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "The Great": II. Andante con moto 14:41
• 5 Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "The Great": III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 15:13
• 6 Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "The Great": IV. Allegro vivace 16:22
• Total Runtime 01:27:47

Info for Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 "Unfinished" & 9 "The Great"

The choice of repertoire for his late debut with Deutsche Grammophon was quickly made: Herbert Blomstedt, at 94 the "longest-serving" conductor in the world and still one of the most vital, chose Franz Schubert's last two symphonies, the "Unfinished" in B minor and the "Great" in C major. With the Gewandhaus Orchestra, which he presided over as Gewandhauskapellmeister from 1998 to 2005 and to which he has been closely associated as honorary conductor since then, he had an orchestra at his disposal that is very familiar with Schubert's music. The conductor had already recorded the Schubert symphony cycle with the Staatskapelle Dresden in the 1980s, but he wanted to dedicate himself to these two works once again - and with an orchestra that has a lively tradition with Schubert. This tape goes back almost to the composer's lifetime. The Gewandhaus Orchestra premiered the Ninth Symphony in 1839 under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn. On "Schubert - Symphonies", recorded last November at the Gewandhaus, the intimate affection that unites conductor and orchestra is evident.

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

Herbert Blomstedt
Noble, charming, sober, modest. Such qualities may play a major role in human coexistence and are certainly appreciated. However, they are rather atypical for extraordinary personalities such as conductors. Whatever the general public’s notion of a conductor may be, Herbert Blomstedt is an exception, precisely because he possesses those very qualities which seemingly have so little to do with a conductor's claim to power. That he disproves the usual clichés in many respects should certainly not lead to the assumption that he does not have the power to assert his clearly defined musical goals. Anyone who has attended Herbert Blomstedt’s rehearsals and experienced his concentration on the essence of the music, the precision in the phrasing of musical facts and circumstances as they appear in the score, the tenacity regarding the implementation of an aesthetic view, is likely to have been amazed at how few despotic measures were required to this end. Basically, Herbert Blomstedt has always represented that type of artist whose professional competence and natural authority make all external emphasis superfluous. His work as a conductor is inseparably linked to his religious and human ethos, and his interpretations combine great faithfulness to the score and analytical precision, with a soulfulness that awakens the music to pulsating life. In the more than sixty years of his career, he has acquired the unrestricted respect of the musical world.

Born in the USA to Swedish parents and educated in Uppsala, New York, Darmstadt and Basel, Herbert Blomstedt gave his conducting debut in 1954 with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently served as Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, the Swedish and Danish Radio Orchestras and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Later, he became Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, Chief Conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. His former orchestras in San Francisco, Leipzig, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Dresden as well as the Bamberg Symphony and the NHK Symphony Orchestra all honoured him with the title of Conductor Laureate. Since 2019, he is a Honorary Member of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Herbert Blomstedt holds several Honorary Doctorates, is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy and was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit. Over the years, all leading orchestras around the globe have been fortunate to secure the services of the highly respected Swedish conductor. Celebrating his 95th birthday in July 2022, he continues to be at the helm of all leading international orchestras with enormous mental and physical presence, verve and artistic drive.

Booklet for Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 "Unfinished" & 9 "The Great"