Maestro
Herbert Blomstedt and the
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig continue their integral
Brahms Symphonies Cycle with a recording of the composer’s
Second Symphony in D Major, alongside his
Academic Festival Overture. Although idyllic and pastoral at first sight, Brahms himself remarked that he had “never written anything so sad”.
Blomstedt and the orchestra bring out all the different moods and colors of this exceptional work. While the
Academic Festival Overture provides a jubilant, glorious conclusion. Blomstedt’s work as a conductor is inseparably linked to his religious and human ethos. 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. The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig is the oldest civic orchestra in the world with a glorious history, and is still counted among the world’s leading ensembles. Their Pentatone debut with
Brahms’ First Symphony and Tragic Overture (2020) received rave reviews.
Purchase all three albums in this Brahms Symphony Cycle for 30% off with the
Brahms Symphonies DSD Bundle!
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor