Herbert Blomstedt on Beethoven and Nielsen (19 min.)

Herbert Blomstedt, who still radiates an unusual youthfulness and curiosity at more than 80 years of age, is one of the great conductors of our time. Moreover, hardly anyone talks about music as so vividly and entertainingly as he does. Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, perhaps because of its generally cheerful tone, is overshadowed by the more heroic neighbouring works, the symphonies numbers three and five. In this introduction from 2013, Blomstedt explains its special charm, plus the unusual beauties in Carl Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony.