St. Florian Abbey

97-year-old Herbert Blomstedt conducted from memory

On his 97th birthday, Herbert Blomstedt conducted the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in St. Florian.(Bild: Reinhard Winkler)

It was the highlight of this year's Abbey Concerts: world-famous conductor Herbert Blomstedt and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra celebrated Bruckner's "Unfinished" at St. Florian's Abbey. The 97-year-old star had the entire symphony in his head and led the orchestra brilliantly through the complex work.

For his 97th birthday, Herbert Blomstedt presented us with Bruckner's Unfinished Symphony. The eagerly awaited and long sold-out monastery concert in St. Florian with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the jubilarian was a real treat!

The modest, religious man from Sweden with an American birthplace conducted the "Ninth" from memory, full of spiritual presence in just 62 minutes. Not kitschy, because it was dedicated to "the good Lord", but taut and noble.

Marveling at the collegiate church
The Bambergers - a concert orchestra that travels all over the world - played with a lot of joy and pleasure on their faces, although in many respects "our" Bruckner Orchestra has more perfection to offer. Some also played from memory and kept eye contact with colleagues or marveled at the beautiful church.

Bruckner called a chorale-like sequence in the final Adagio "Farewell to Life". Before that, however, it is played misterioso, then cheered, stamped, thanked and mysteriously celebrated the beauty of stillness. Standing ovations, but unfortunately the charming conductor did not allow himself to be celebrated for long!