Search - Schubert, Mendelssohn, John Guare :: Symphony 8 / Symphony 4

Two great symphonies in the hands of one great conductor

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 08/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Between 1985 and 1995, American-born Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt helped to elevate the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra to the same level of excellence enjoyed by its counterparts in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York.This recent London/Decca re-pairing of the orchestra's recordings of Mendelssohn's celebrated Italian Symphony and Schubert's equally celebrated Unfinished Symphony is proof that Blomstedt had his conducting powers well in hand. The orchestra gives very even and very excellent performances of these two symphonic hallmarks under Blomstedt's great guiding hand.Given this, it is hoped by this viewer that this same orchestra and conductor's equally superlative recordings of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 will make a return to CD as well."

Part of the Big Six

Hermes Camacho | Boulder, CO | 08/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most underrated and most taken for granted, the San Francisco Symphony proves that it is one of America's best. Under the leadership of Maestro, the grandeur of Schubert's Unfinished and the color and warmth of Mendelssohn's Italian are fully realized. With a scattered history at best, the San Francisco Symphony has experienced the baton of many legendary conductors -- Pierre Monteux and Seiji Ozawa of the past and Michael Tilson Thomas, presently. However, little is ever said about Maestro Bloomstedt, the person who prepared, if not begun, the great building process the orchestra is going through with MTT. This orchestra is superb under his baton.One can tell that the orchestra truly understands what Maestro Bloomstedt wanted from them, making this one of the best recordings I have ever heard since those of Toscanini and Furtwangler. JUST LISTEN AND SEE."

One underrated conductor

Keith Peters | 09/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In listening to this truly wonderful interpretation of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, I'm reminded of how self-effacing Herbert Blomstedt can be. For, like his personality and podium manner, he does not "show off" like so many would like conductors to do. Instead, he truly gives the music the composer wrote to you with every detail in place. This is a joyful interpretation of the Italian Symphony and it belongs as one of the best ever recorded. The engineering is top-notch by Decca. While some say Michael Tilson Thomas has brought the San Francisco Symphony to the top tier of American orchestras, recordings like this show that Maestro Blomstedt was the architect of the beautiful sounds emanating from Davies Hall."