Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 "Unfinished" & 9 "The Great"

A lifetime’s love and reflection stand behind Herbert Blomstedt’s Schubert. The revered Swedish conductor gives the composer’s late, great Romantic symphonies ample room to breathe and unfold naturally. Their unforgettable melodies flourish in compelling performances recorded at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus in November 2021, illuminated by dramatic contrasts of orchestral sound and Blomstedt’s uncanny knack for making repeated themes sound fresh with each return. Listen to the ritual procession of the Ninth Symphony’s second movement for a masterclass in pacing, tonal shading and musical meaning. Countless exquisite details of expression and phrasing emerge in both symphonies, shaped to perfection by the Gewandhausorchester musicians, whose predecessors gave the world premiere of Schubert’s monumental Ninth Symphony in 1839.