Credits:

Herbert Blomstedt

Description:

The Gewandhaus Orchestra’s traditional “9th” concert on New Year’s Eve, 2015Maestro Blomstedt, one of the oldest active conductors, gives an energetic performance! The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is one of the oldest and most prestigious orchestras in the world. This video is a live recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 performed on December 31, 2015, conducted by Herbert Blomstedt. The tradition of the Gewandhaus Orchestra performing the “9th” on New Year’s Eve began in 1918, the year World War I ended, when it was performed by Artur Nikisch, then Kapellmeister, with a wish for peace and freedom. The original poem for the fourth movement, “Ode to Joy,” which sings of love for mankind, was written by Friedrich Schiller during his stay in Leipzig. The “Year-End Ninth” has become a tradition of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and has since been performed in Japan and all over the world. Blomsted