Herbert Blomstedt on Beethoven’s Missa solemnis (21 min.)

We know that Wilhelm Furtwängler stopped conducting Beethoven’s Missa solemnis when he was 44 years old. Not because he regarded the work as inferior, but on the contrary, because he thought it too great and grand for any earthly performance. Although Herbert Blomstedtʼs regard for the Missa is certainly no less than Furtwänglerʼs, he fortunately comes to a different conclusion and in June 2012 he conducted a stunning performance of the work, together with the Berliner Philharmoniker. In our video, he provides an introduction to the work.