Claudio Abbado is one of the leading conductors of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He has held a number of prestigious posts, any one of which would be a crowning achievement for a conductor, and his musical presence in both concert and recordings has left an undeniable legacy of excellence. His family traces its roots to a prominent Moorish family expelled from Spain in 1492 and is said to include the architect of the Alhambra. His father was Michelangelo Abbado, a violinist and teacher who gave both Claudio and his brother, Marcello Abbado, their first piano and music lessons (Marcello has gone on to become a pianist and composer). Claudio was educated at the Milan Conservatory, graduating in 1955 with a certificate in piano. While a student there, he also studied conducting with Antonio Votto. In 1955, he studied piano with Friedrich Gulda in Salzburg, and then (from 1956-1958) attended Hans Swarowsky's conducting classes at the Vienna Academy of Music. In 1958, he made his conducting debut in Trieste, and won the Koussevitzky Competition at Tanglewood. This led to his engagement in several provincial opera houses and orchestras, as well as a teaching position at Parma Conservatory. After winning the 1963 Dimitri Mitropoulos Prize, he was awarded a five-month position on the staff of the New York Philharmonic, with which he made his American professional debut on April 7, 1963. The year 1965 marked his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival, but more so for his return to his hometown of Milan to conduct at La Scala. He would conduct there again in 1967, become the company's resident director in 1968, and be named music director in 1971. Abbado was credited with raising the performing standards at La Scala, and for broadening its repertory. He also organized its orchestral players into the Orchestra della Scala, whose performances of works by such composers as Schoenberg, Nono, Ligeti, Stockhausen, and Berio brought Abbado special acclaim as an interpreter of modern works. In 1971, he was appointed principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. Soon after, he formed a relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he became principal conductor in 1979, and finally music director, a post he retained until 1988. Other activities during this period included the founding of the European Community Youth Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Gustav Mahler Youth Chamber Orchestra. For the period 1982-1986, Abbado served as principal guest conductor at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, after which he was appointed music director of the Vienna State Opera. The Viennese further honored him by appointing him general music director of the city. During his tenure, he founded (1988) the Wien Modern music festival, which has now grown to encompass all forms of contemporary art. Abbado succeeded Herbert von Karajan as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1989. In 1991, he relinquished his position at the Vienna State Opera, but he has maintained a presence in the city by founding the annual Vienna prize for young composers. In 1994, he succeeded to another post once held by Karajan, namely the directorship of the Salzburg Easter Festival. Following a bout with cancer in 2000, Abbado formed the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2003 with the orchestra's artistic and executive director, Michael Haefliger. Though Abbado briefly suspended his activities in 2007, he took up the baton again after a two month absence. Abbado is an exciting conductor who relishes the beauty of tone. His extensive discography includes the complete symphonic works of Mahler, Schubert, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven, and dozens of other recordings.
Read More...
Tracklisting:
CD1:
Symphony No.1 in G minor, Op. 13 "Winter Dreams"
1. I. Allegro tranquillo
2. II. Land of Desolation, Land of Mists - Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
3. III. Scherzo. Allegro scherzando giocoso
4. IV. Finale. Andante lugubre - Allegro moderator - Allegro maestoso - Allegro vivo
The Nutcracker, Op 71a
1. I. Ouverture. Allegro giusto
2. II. Danses caracteristiques - a. Marche. Tempo di marcia viva
3. II. Danses caracteristiques - b. Danse de la Fee Dragee. Andante non troppo
4. II. Danses caracteristiques - c. Danse Russe Trepak. Molto vivace
5. II. Danses caracteristiques - d. Danse Arabe. Allegretto
6. II. Danses caracteristiques - e. Danse Chinoise. Allegro moderato
7. II. Danses caracteristiques - f. Danse des Mirlitons. Moderato assai
8. III. Valse des Fleurs. Tempo di valse
CD 2:
The Tempest, Op. 18 (Symphonic Fantasy after Shakespeare)
1. Andanto con moto – Allegro moderato – Andante con moto
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 "Little Russian"
2. I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
3. II. Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
4. III. Scherzo. Allegro molto vivace
5. IV. Finale. Moderato assai - Allegro vivo
CD3:
Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 29 "Polish"
1. I. Introduzione. Moderato assai (Tempo di marcia funebre) – Allegro brilliante
2. II . Alla Tedesca. Allegro moderato e semplice
3. III. Andante. Andante elegiaco
4. IV. Scherzo. Allegro vivo
5. V. Finale. Allegro con fuoco (Tempo di Polacca)
“1812” Overture, Op. 49
6. Largo – Andante - Allegro giusto
7. Largo - Allegro vivace
CD4:
Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
1. I. Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima – Moderato assai, quasi Andante – Allegro vivo
2. II. Andantino in modo di canzona
3. III. Scherzo. Pizzicato ostinato. Allegro
4. IV. Finale. Allegro con fuoco Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy Overture after Shakespeare)
5. Andante non tanto quasi Moderato – Allegro giusto – Moderato assai
CD5:
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
1. I. Andante - Allegro con anima
2. II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza – Moderato con anima – Andante mosso – Allegro non troppo – Tempo I
3. III. Valse. Allegro moderato
4. IV. Finale. Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace – Molto vivace – Moderato assai e molto maestoso – Presto
The Voyevoda, Op. 78 (Symphonic Ballad)
5. Allegro vivacissimo – Moderato – Allegro vivacissimo
CD6:
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathetique"
1. I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo – Andante – Moderato mosso – Andante – Moderato assai – Allegro vivo – Andante con prima – Andante mosso
2. II. Allegro con grazia
3. III. Allegro molto vivace
4. IV. Finale. Adagio lamentoso – Andante Marche Slave, Op. 31
5. Moderato in modo di marcia funebre – Piu mosso. Allegro – Andante molto maestoso – Allegro risoluto
J.J. Johnson - J.J. Inc (1960) {1997 Columbia Remaster}
