Vienna Phil honours conductor, 91
mainThe Swedish-American maestro Herbert Blomstedt has been named an honorary member of the Vienna Philharmonic.
He was only asked to conduct them for the first time in 2011.
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World’s greatest Bruckner conductor.
Best Bruckner cycle (as a cycle), and not with the Wiener:
https:// musicbrainz.org/release/4f4f8eb5-3407-4ad0-8405-8bd0ffb038d1
World’s greatest LIVING Bruckner conductor, says Günter Wand.
As some still say in San Francisco:
“We hardly got to know ye, Herbie!”
Skoal!
And what would they say in Hamburg, where before even assuming his position as Chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra (1996-7) “Herbie” had already signed up with the Leipzig Gewandhaus to become their Kapellmeister in 1998? (And you thought professional sports signings were short-lived…)
I will never forget a Star Spangled Banner he conducted in San Francisco, to open the season. Riveting, as if he was conducting any other masterwork.
The Star-Spangled Banner is a (musical) masterwork?! Now I’ve heard everything!
I just heard him perform a concert of Bach and Mendelsson at Berwaldhallen, Stockholm. Superb! And let’s hope I have that kind of energy when (if!) I’m 92.
Marvelous. I heard him conduct twice in January and was thrilled by his originality, depth, and energy (92!). Long may he hold the baton.
It was a late start with the VPO – he had been appearing with the Vienna Symphony before that.
What a conductor! What a career!! Long may he continue.
Crazy the Viennese only got into him in 2011. Saw him twice with them. Incredible. Best Bruckner 8 I’ve ever seen.
That’s saying a lot. I own six Bruckner 8’s with the VPO: Furtwaengler, Schuricht, Bohm, Giulini, Karajan and Boulez! I like all six . If I had to choose just one of them at gun point, believe it or not, it would the Bohm.
Treat yourself to some Günter Wand, mate.
Heard HB perform the Bruckner 9 with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood some years ago. I remember the vigor he brought to the piece.