Starting November 11, the German Hope Channel will broadcast "A German Requiem op. 45" by Johannes Brahms, declared Maestro Herbert Blomstedt. The new series in eight episodes will be shown every Saturday at 8:15 pm, premiering November 11 and rebroadcasting the following Wednesday at 9 pm.
The music is taken from the live recording of the Danish Television (DR) under the direction of Herbert Blomstedt with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir with the participation of the world-famous Swedish soloists Peter Mattei, Baritone and Camilla Tilling, soprano.
In each transmission, before the requiem, Herbert Blomstedt explains the music, historical connections, melody lines, symbolic meanings as well as theological questions. In the final episode, the entire "A German Requiem" is broadcasted.
Herbert Blomstedt is of Swedish descent but was born in America. He celebrated his 90th birthday in July this year and is the oldest active conductor. His love for music, his vitality and life energy lead him to 90 concerts around the world in 2017. The honorary conductor of seven world-class orchestras is admired for his fidelity to the musical score. His way of conveying music and talking about it, is compelling and unique.
More about Blomstedt's career
He has been Music Director or Principal Conductor of the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (1954–1962), Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1962–1968), Danish Radio Symphony (1967–1977) and Swedish Radio Symphony (1977–1982). From 1975-1985, he served as chief conductor of the Dresdner Staatskapelle.
Blomstedt was music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1985 to 1995. He led the orchestra on regular tours of Europe and Asia, and made numerous prize-winning recordings for London/Decca, winning two Grammy Awards, a Gramophone Award and a Grand Prix du Disque, as well as awards from Belgium, Germany and Japan. After leaving San Francisco full-time, Blomstedt held principal conductorships with the North German Radio Symphony (1996–1998) and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1998–2005).
Blomstedt is currently Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony and Honorary Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Staatskapelle Dresden.
