Herbert Blomstedt chose the repertoire for his keenly awaited Deutsche Grammophon debut recording without hesitation. Joining forces with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Swedish conductor decided on a program comprising two symphonic masterworks: Schubert’s Eighth and Ninth Symphonies. The album is being released days before Blomstedt’s 95th birthday. The conductor recorded the Schubert symphony cycle with the Dresden Staatskapelle in the 1980s but was keen to revisit these two works in particular, and with an orchestra whose connection to Schubert is part of a living tradition stretching back almost to the composer’s lifetime.
Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9 – Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
