A Message of Hope In Challenging Times

Maestro Herbert Blomstedt and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig present the first fruit of their integral Brahms Symphonies Cycle with a recording of the composer’s First Symphony in C Minor, alongside his Tragic Overture.

Once celebrated as “Beethoven’s Tenth”, Brahms’ first attempt at the symphonic genre was generally greeted as the most promising answer to Beethoven’s legendary legacy, and solidified his musical reputation.

For Blomstedt, bringing these Brahms pieces into the world in the strange year of 2020 has a special significance, as Robert Schumann, Brahms’ close friend and mentor, once pointed out that it is the musician’s mission “to bring light into the depths of the human soul”. The euphoric finale of Brahms’ First Symphony, evidently inspired by Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, fully conveys this message of hope and Blomstedt’s unshakable belief in the imperishable power of the human spirit.

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Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor