Herbert Blomstedt has passed away
Herbert Blomstedt remained active and inquisitive right up to the end. His keen interest in music, art, literature and science is reflected in the Herbert Blomstedt Collection, his extensive book collection held at the Gothenburg University Library.
In 2014, Herbert Blomstedt donated a large part of his book collection to the Gothenburg University Library. The Herbert Blomstedt Collection includes a substantial amount of works, spanning about 500 shelf metres. The collection contains music literature and sheet music, manuscripts and facsimile editions of old manuscripts, as well as works of fiction. It also includes a unique collection of music from the 18th century, comprising material previously preserved at Östanå Castle in Uppland. A large proportion of the Swedish, German and English literature on art, philosophy and cultural history consists of first editions. In addition to this, there is also personal correspondence and a stamp collection.
- It has been a privilege to get to know Herbert Blomstedt personally, not just as one of the world’s leading conductors. What has struck me is how exceptionally well-read he was across such a wide range of subjects. Before our first meeting, I had prepared some questions, including when he had started collecting books. Herbert immediately replied that he did not collect books at all. Instead, he explained how it all began. When he became a conductor in Denmark as a young man, he wanted to learn more about the country where he was working. So he started buying books by Kierkegaard. This says a great deal about this remarkable conductor, who never took shortcuts but always placed the music he was to perform in its cultural context,” says Library Director Morgan Palmqvist
Herbert Blomstedt was born in Massachusetts in 1927 and moved to Gothenburg at the age of two. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts. He was 99 years old.