Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 - BLU-RAY

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 9D minor, WAB 109Bamberger SymphonikerHerbert BlomstedtThere is often an occasion for great concerts, but there are rarely several good reasons for a concert recording of an outstanding musical event.2024 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. For the Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt, Bruckner is a genius and the greatest symphonist since Beethoven. No composer is more closely associated with Herbert Blomstedt than Anton Bruckner. And no conductor has dealt with Anton Bruckner more intensively than Herbert Blomstedt.Probably the world's longest-serving conductor, with an eventful career spanning seven decades, Herbert Blomstedt celebrated his 97th birthday on July 11, 2024. Closely associated with him for years the Bamberg Symphony, which he has conducted in almost 200 concerts in Germany and over 20 concerts abroad.In honor of Anton Bruckner and Herbert Blomstedt, the Bamberg Symphony planned a special gift to their honorary conductor. On July 11, 2024, the day of his 97th birthday, Blomstedt conducted Bruckner's 9th Symphony in the Basilica of St. Florian, a place to which Anton Bruckner held close ties throughout his life. The great symphonist began his musical career as a Florian choirboy and later continued there as organist of St. Florian. Anton Bruckner was repeatedly drawn back to the abbey, where he found his final resting place under the organ.Recorded live at the Basilica of St. Florian MonasteryContains two bonus films A birthday serenade for Herbert Blomstedt's 97th birthdayHerbert Blomstedt on Anton Bruckner

This music is more serious and more significant than one had thought, the Berliner Zeitung summarized in it's review of Daniel Barenboim's celebrated Bruckner cycle with the Staatskapelle Berlin. Bruckner's unfinished Symphony No. 9 brought to an end, in a poignant manner, the work of one of the greatest symphonic composers of the Classic-Romantic era. Once more the essential elements of Bruckner's symphonic style are present, the technical standard, the intensity of sound, and the enormous richness of expression are in this singular work brought to an unsurpassed niveau.

In 2018, marking the exact 100th anniversary of the Armistice ending World War 1, the all-star World Orchestra for Peace gave two UNESCO designated performances of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Symbolically one in each of the UK and Germany - for the BBC Proms in London and for the Würth Music Foundation in Künzelsau. Founded in 1995 by Sir Georg Solti to reaffirm, in his words, Inchthe unique strength of music as an ambassador for peaceInch, leading players from the world's finest orchestras gave this performance at 'the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month', 100 years after the guns fell silent in 1918. The performance is preceded by moving words of welcome and introduction from Prof. Würth and Lady Solti, both highlighting the need for brotherhood and joy amongst all nations, as reflected in the words of Schiller's Ode in the choral finale. As a bonus, this includes welcome and introductions from Prof. Dr. Reinhold Würth, Charles Kaye (Director/co-founder of the World Orchestra for Peace), and Lady Valerie Solti (Patron of the World Orchestra for Peace).