Preview: Herbert Blomstedt and the Fine Line Between Sincerity and Blandness

Herbert Blomstedt is one of those conductor who grows on you. He had a distinguished career for many years before he finally landed a major label contract with the San Francisco Symphony for Decca. While there, he made an amazingly consistent and exceptional series of recordings, including major cycles of Nielsen and Sibelius symphonies at time when the discography was not as oversupplied as it is today. Then the Berlin Wall came down, Japanese distribution ramped up, his earlier discography (made mostly with the Staatskapelle Dresden) started to become available, and we realized that much of that material too was every bit as good. Still active in his 90s, this "grand old man" of the podium has richly earned the love and respect in which he's almost universally regarded. Check out my video about his 10 best recordings by signing up as a ClassicsToday.com Insider here: https://www.classicstoday.com/classic...