Herbert Blomstedt, death of a legendary maestro steeped in simplicity

We ended up believing him to be immortal. It is sometimes said that the conductor is a slowly maturing artist. You still need time! Herbert Blomstedt took it, thanks to an unusual vital energy, living until the age of 99 and conducting until 2025. He had become an essential figure, transfiguring the orchestras he directed, starting with the Orchester de Paris. And don't think that the musicians were compensating for a possible decline in the nonagenarian maestro's performance. Even when he had to resign himself to taking the arm of the first violin to reach the desk, and to conducting seated, the fluidity was more radiant than ever, based on work that was still just as demanding. He used all his rehearsal time, until the last second, because for him there was always something to perfect. But this meticulousness, coupled with a maniacal respect for the score, was accompanied, on the evening of the concert, by this freedom given to the musicians...