UE Mahler Interview with Herbert Blomstedt 

This is the type of conductor one can only love.

there is nothing more precious than blomstedt talking about mahler and bruckner

Ich habe mir nun mehrere Mahler-Interviews in dieser Serie angehört und ich komme zu dem Schluss, dass dieses das tiefgründigste ist. Herbert Blomstedt ist ein wahrer Musikphilosoph, der es wagt, die Psyche der Komponisten, wie sie sich in ihren Werken ausdrückt, zu erkennen und zu benennen und dabei auch zu unterscheiden. Von seinen Äußerungen habe ich am meisten. Geradezu liebenswert finde ich seine Schlussbemerkung: Natürlich würde ich beide (Mahler und Bruckner) gerne treffen, aber ich fürchte, sollte mir dieses Privileg widerfahren, wäre ich vor lauter Bewunderung betäubt und würde nur denken; "Sind Sie das wirklich?!"

"Beethoven speaks for us all", by far this one of the most beautiful explanation of Beethoven's music.

Love that man! A very modest, serious, profound, kind and very great conductor and human being.

Blomstedt is not only a great maestro but also a philosopher.

I was lucky to have season tickets to SFS for a few years when he was it's artistic director and conductor.

This was a really sincere interview. Thank you maestro for your insights!

His comments regarding the conducting style of the mature Mahler are totally correct. Many accounts and reviews from his late era performances remark about his quite restrained, yet dominating presence on the podium. Though we know Mahler today as a great composer, he was regarded in his own time as one of the world's best conductors.

Fascinating and great responses by Blomstedt.

1:38 Directly referring to Bernstein's approach. (Which I happen to love)

Whenever he appears on NHK, Blomstedt speaks German unlike other conductors like Paavo Järvi, who always responds in English. This is the first time for me to see Blomstedt speak English. I understand his first language is Swedish, though.

"Change characterized Mahler's life; constancy Bruckner's. In a certain sense this is also true of their work. Bruckner sang of his God and for his God, Who ever and unalterably occupied his soul. Mahler struggled toward Him. Not constancy, but change ruled his inner life, hence also his music."

(6:35) Blomstedt's comparison of Bruckner and Mahler is very interesting and amazing, too :) - Heinz

Enjoyed the Bernstein comments.

The most just statement about Lenny Bernstein (2:04).

Blomstedt's comparison of Bruckner and Mahler is very interesting and amazing, too :) 06:35

Reminds Bruno Walter's paper 'Bruckner and Mahler' He also states same kind of ideas in that paper.

to your info: at 2010 Herbert Blomstedt was one of jurors at International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition by Bamberger Symphoniker if you want to watch finale, please watch?v=cBqoilbBQpI&feature=endscreen&NR=1 to get more info about this famous conductor competitiion please search at web

Lot of thanks for this very valuable information. "Bruckner and Mahler" is worth to be read by any of Bruckner and/or Mahler fan. To all Brucknerians don't like Mahler and to all Mahlerians don't like Bruckner: you do not know what you missed! Once more many thanks for your valuable hint :)

Very wise words on Bernstein, I like him

Your welcome, is my pleasure. Then let me quote from it : "is symphonies also (and these before all) sprang from this fundamental religious feeling that swayed Bruckner's entire spirit. He did not have to struggle toward God; he believed. Mahler sought God. He searched in himself, in Nature, in the messages of poets and thinkers" &

Interesting, being in one’s “Beethoven late quartets period” and not connecting immediately to Mahler’s music. I would have thought one was a gateway drug to the other.

Good interview. The captions are awfully full of mistakes though...

Does he say 'Turkey' at 10:50 ?

He's probably referring to the Armenian genocide.

The maestro looks so much like the American playwright Edward Albee. Albee was an adopted lad. Blomstesdt was born in NYC. Wierd. Very same mannerisms.