Herbert Blomstedt

This recording of the GewandhausOrchestra under Herbert Blomstedt took place based on the urtext edition, which as far as records can tell, is the nearest version to the one Beethoven intended.

There were countless drafts written in Beethoven’s own hand which apparently omitted the ‘Gloria’, so a lot of research had to be done to evaluate the large quantities of manuscripts.

Nine transcriptions, verified by Beethoven, survived. Although the premiere performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis took place in 1845, it was not debuted in the Gewandhaus until 1849 in the New Year’s concert; this recording presents Blomstedt’s own performance taken from his tenure there and formed part of his Beethoven cycle during 2003.

Recorded live on 7th/8th October 2010

Carl Nielsen (1865-1931), the greatest composer to come out of Denmark, was an accomplished symphonist. He produced six very fine symphonies with which his name is most closely associated and of which the first four are included in this set. These symphonies date from the years 1891 to 1914 and so follow the development of the composer from a young man at the beginning of his career to a mature, established composer. Nielsen played in the second violins of the orchestra at the successful première of the First Symphony; by the time he gave the first performance of the Fourth Symphony he was its renowned and well-respected composer and conductor.

Grieg’s mighty score for the incidental music to Ibsen’s dramatic literary work here receives a thrilling performance under Herbert Blomstedt with an orchestra from the very city Peer Gynt himself was reputed to have visited on his travels. The 73 minutes of incidental music take in all the movements traditionally included in the two suites but go beyond, to give a glimpse of extraordinary tracts of score not otherwise well known.

Recording producer: Andrew Cornall

Recording engineers: John Pellowe, James Lock, Michael Mailes

Recording location: Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, USA, June 1988