Herbert Blomstedt, 97
OrchestrasThe Swedish conductor will celebrate his 97th birthday on Thursday with a performance of Bruckner’s ninth symphony.
He will conduct the Bamberger Symphoniker in the first of three concerts, this one at St Florian’s Church, Linz, where Anton Bruckner was organist and where he is buried.
Happy birthday, Herbert Bllomstedt.
Has any maestro ever worked harder or longer?
You really had me gasping at my screen there. Well played.
“A little bird told the @BambergerSymphoniker that he loves and appreciates the Swedish summer psalm “I denna ljuva sommartid”. ☺️ So they played it for him as a birthday serenade in St. Florian”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mumt4Qs4-bc
Amazing at his age. May he have many more years
What a tremendous inspiration! Happy Birthday Herbert! Hope to see you on the podium soon.
Change your headline! I thought you were announcing that he was no longer with us (that’s what it reads like)— very glad that just the opposite is true.
One more Bhrams for the road please!
I don’t like Brahms.
How about Bhrams?
It doesn’t matter.
I wonder whether Brahms would like you. Sorry, I can’t help your lack of taste.
Try this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mVZYhdP29E
And?
Mozart and Beethoven?
Brahms and Liszt?
Harder: hard to tell.
Longer: possibly not, but we need to take a long view comparing careers. It depends on whether we look strictly at the conducting career or the early performances during studies.
No conductor of Blomstedt’s stature lived to conduct at 97. Stokowsky had an indian summer in his 90s as well, but lived 95.5 years. Kurt Sanderling lived 99 years but retired at 90.
I look forward to hearing the BSO and NYPO under Blomstedt next February and March.
His birthday is in two days!
At least in Germany, it is believed to bring bad luck if you congratulate in advance.
Norman makes it clear that his birthday is “on Thursday”.
Another giant who didn’t need or pursue celebrity staus. Happy Birthday and many more.
As a youngster from Southern California in the mid-1970s I had the privilege of attending one of Maestro Blomstedt’s orchestral workshops at the La Sierra campus of Loma Linda University. I have great memories of how inspired we all felt by his positive attitude, wonderful energy and brilliant music-making. He left a mark that helped to shape who I strived to become as a musician and person, and I am thankful.
Stephen, I share some of those memories and agree with you completely. I was the (very young) music critic at the San Bernardino Sun back then, and had the privilege of spending a day with Maestro Blomstedt as he was doing those sessions at the La Sierra campus. What a wonderful man and inspiring musician. Happy Birthday, Maestro!
Remarkable
My favorite. Happy birthday, and thank you for making us happy!
Imagine him conducting Maxwell Davies’s gothic first symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic. That would be something! Bring it on!
You probably meant Havergal Brian’s first symphony?
How about Segerstam’s 228th Symphony?
I was actually thinking about Segerstam’s 229th symphony…
Happy birthday Maestro! I’ll be celebrating with your Hindemith cycle under San Francisco Symphony…. one of my favourites…
Not bad for an old stick – he certainly had to wait his time for the music press and media to really take much notice of him. But old age has finally shone a spotlight on him, and rightly so. His Berwald is wonderful, and Brahms too. He is clearly doing what he loves and it shows.
Biden could do with some of Blomstedt’s vitality. The most likely outgoing one term US President has looked half dead recently, not that I relish Trump’s return any more. If so, cue Lola, that scantily clad Russian pianist, playing the inauguration as Putin’s gift in return for Ukraine…. shudder!
He’s actually a far more impressive artist now than he was in the seventies and eighties.
Biden has Parkinson’s disease. Blomstedt is a healthy old dude. Not a good comparo.
A source, please? Or are you going to emulate your MAGA candidate and say “Someone told me that …”?
Extraordinary musician and person. Hope to make it to the NYPhil for his concerts next year.
His recent Bruckner 8 in Paris was very, very inspiring in his conception but the Orchestre de Paris played well below its standards.
I briefly met him after a concert with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra about 7 years ago when he was just 90. He stayed and signed programs for 30 minutes after a long program. In the few minutes I had with him he delightedly discussed our mutual love for Bruckner and Mendelsohn. In those few moments one could so easily grasp the humanity of the man and his inherent kindness and generosity. I shall always relish that “meeting” and my signed program “Dear Alan, best from a fellow Brucknerian” Happy Returns Dear Maestro!!!!
A gentleman, an adult, and an extremely underrated conductor. I hope to play under him again.
A wonderful musician and human being with extraordinary energy and intellectual vigour. It was my privilege to play under him a number of times. Now I keenly await hearing him conduct Mahler 9 with the Philharmonia in November from the “other” side.
Like his great forbear Kurt Sanderling a strangely underrated conductor. But these two conductors remain amongst the top 5 from my playing career.
I’d love to read the three names that complete your top five. The two above bode well.
Maestro Blomstedt and I have something in common – We were both born in Springfield, MA. His parents were missionaries from their church in Sweden. I had the pleasure of mentioning this to Maestro after a Carnegie Hall concert.
Conducting Reger. https://youtu.be/UJVOIhMvfIE?si=IgPmi2rbq9Jebaq0
Please come to the DC area, I’ll be there at your concerts whatever your age…Mazel tov, Maestro!
I love his Nielsen cycle.
Rejoice! There are two…!
Happy Birthday, Maestro! When has anyone so beautifully married longevity, energy, musical artistry and sweetness of disposition? You are a blessing to the world. R. Martin
If all humans were like Herbert Blomstedt the world would certainly be a more peaceful place.
He has brought hono[u]r and dignity to our profession. Mazel tov, Maestro!
You had me going for a moment there! Would you please consider putting the words “STILL ALIVE” into the headline?
Happy Birthday to the Swedish (albeit US-born) maestro!
Bravo Maestro! Carry on!
I heard Blomstedt and the SF Symphony at Davies Hall when I was on the music faculty of SF State U. I always marveled at his ability to show impending gestures, agogics, and other nuances a beat, or two, or, even more in advance. All this, with absolute poise and minimal gesticulation! But yet, despite his economy of movement, the expression of what he elicits from an orchestra is simply stunning. Happy birthday, Maestro!
Now that’s called a Teaser!!
Leopold Stokowski
Maestro Blomstedt has always been a special person to me and my wife. It’s nice to hear the Schubert 9 clip (which we recorded in SF years ago)–a wonderful interpreter of the standard repertoire and an amazing human being.
Blomstedt conducted the first symphony concert I attended (1994).
There is no way to thank him enough and I’m glad he’s still making art with orchestras.
Happy birthday to the great Maestro!
Looking forward to hearing him again at the Gewandhaus in September!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mumt4Qs4-bc
Music:
NATAN SÖDERBLOM
SvPs 201 I denna ljuva sommartid
arr. Andreas Wetterlund
Played by the Bamberg Symphony
July 11, 2024
Stift St. Florian (Austria)