Herbert Blomstedt, one of the great conductors of the era, returns to the BSO podium for a work central to the repertoire, Brahms's rich, complex Symphony No. 1. Grappling with the influence of Beethoven, Brahms famously delayed completing his First until well into his forties. Bearing several deliberate touches of homage to Beethoven but fully Brahmsian in its spirit and effect, it stands as one of the great works in the symphonic literature. Opening the program is Haydn's charming, genial Cello Concerto No. 1, featuring the brilliant Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk in his first appearances with the BSO since 2007.