97-year-old Herbert Blomstedt conducts epic climax of Mahler Symphony
27 December 2024, 18:26 | Updated: 27 December 2024, 21:03
Herbert Blomstedt conducts Mahler 9
Herbert Blomstedt continues to work with top-class orchestras all over the world at the staggering age of 97.
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The renowned conductor Herbert Blomstedt has led the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s mighty Ninth Symphony.
At 97 years old, the Swedish maestro is the oldest conductor on the circuit, keeping a busy schedule with top-tier orchestras worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo) and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is one of the most emotionally taxing symphonies in the repertoire, placing huge demands on performers and lasting over 90 minutes in length. It been interpreted as a farewell, containing quotations from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26, ‘Les Adieux’ (The Farewell).
Read more: The 15 greatest symphonies of all time
Despite the immensity of the challenge, in a recent performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Blomstedt was in complete control, guiding his players through the peaks and troughs of the late romantic masterpiece. Making contained but crystal-clear gestures, he can still communicate his expressive thoughts as clearly as someone half his age.
Read more: The 25 greatest conductors of all time
Raised in Sweden in 1927, Blomstedt rose to prominence after winning the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize in 1953, followed by the Salzburg Conducting Competition in 1955.
During his astonishing career, he has held the position of music director with several world-class ensembles, including the Oslo Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, where he won two Grammy awards for his recordings.
He has become renowned for his interpretation of the works of German and Austrian composers, particularly Bruckner, Brahms, Strauss and Schubert and has used his influence to champion works by Scandinavian composers such as Grieg, Berwald, Sibelius and Nielsen.
To see him conduct now is to witness the fruition of a lifetime of experience, music-making at the highest level, and human achievement.
Blomstedt has a busy diary stretching into and beyond the new year.
Watch Herbert Blomstedt’s full performance with Classic FM’s partner orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, below on YouTube:
Herbert Blomstedt conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 9 - extract from IV. Adagio
