Berwald/Blomstedt new symphony cycle with tone poems

[Joachim Raff]

This might be of some interest.

Herbert Blomstedt is planning a new symphony cycle and some unsung tone poems. Here is a fascinating Zoom interview with Blomstedt conducted by Alan Gilbert:
https://www.facebook.com/GilbertConducts/videos/649116868976221/

[Revilod]

Something of a phenomenon. You'd think, at 93, Blomstedt would be thinking of hanging up his baton. More Berwald is always good. Liszt is always credited with inventing the symphonic poem but Berwald seems to have got there at about the same time.

[MartinH]

Good luck to Blomstedt! That's a big undertaking for a 93 year old. Hopefully his Seventh Day Adventist lifestyle and diet will let him take it to completion. Perhaps Berwald has some special meaning for him, but I can't imagine anyone getting too excited about another Berwald cycle. I can think of quite a few other Swedish composers I'd like to hear recorded.

[Alan Howe]

I (respectfully) disagree. There have been only seven complete cycles under a single conductor, i.e. Björlin, Järvi, Kamu, Montgomery, Dausgaard, Goodman and Ehrling, of which Ehrling's is generally regarded as the most successful, although he doesn't have a world-class orchestra at his disposal. Therefore it seems to me that there is certainly room for a major new cycle, especially from one of the greatest living conductors directing one of the world's great orchestras, the Leipzig Gewandhaus:
https://slippedisc.com/2020/05/maestro-92-signs-on-to-record-two-symphonic-cycles/

Of course, it'd be great to have a cycle of, say, Ludvig Norman's symphonies from Blomstedt too, but Oramo would be very acceptable, surely.

Oh, and by the way: 93's evidently the new 83!

[eschiss1]

Liszt was aware of Berlioz's poems/dramatic overtures which were from somewhat earlier, though Liszt's programs for his program works were written afterwards and were only guides. Not sure he regarded himself as the inventor of the breed, though. Agreed re Berwald.