Mendelssohn: Claudio Abbado

The Italian conductor Claudio Abbado is one of the most outstanding conductors of the 20th century. It was his unique ability to make sound and music shine (Deutschlandfunk Kultur), for which he was celebrated internationally by both the press and the audience. In addition to his long-standing relationship with the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Vienna Philharmonic, he has also been chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for many years (1979 to 1986), with which he has recorded a rich discography over the years.

Mendelssohn's reputation is solid as a "happy" Romantic; if (as some have claimed) he lacks passion, he makes up for it with exquisite sensibility and controlled emotion. These qualities are featured in Claudio Abbado's take on these seven overtures. …Fair Melusina Overture, inspired by a Kreutzer opera in which a husband learns his wife must turn into a mermaid once a week, and condemns her to her mermaid state forever. Gendered passages (sweet and then stern) compete with each other in a piece which gives oboes a workout. Melusina is a solid entree; the other six are desserts.

Claudio Abbado (1933-2014) was one of the outstanding personalities in the history of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He made his debut with the orchestra in 1966 and was their chief conductor from 1990 to 2002. In May 2013, their unique partnership ended with Claudio Abbado's last concert with the orchestra – a “triumph”, in the words of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The programme included two of the most important works of musical Romanticism: Hector Berlioz's visionary Symphonie fantastique and Felix Mendelssohn's magical, shimmering music for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Audio and video recordings of this memorable evening are now being released in a hardcover luxury edition. The bonus material includes a historical documentary about Abbado's first year as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In addition to extensive texts, the booklet contains numerous photos, some of which have never been published before.

Although he has lived in the USA since 1929 and even took on American citizenship in 1942, Nathan Milstein is often referred to as perhaps the last “Russian” among all Russian violinists due to his art of playing – which is governed wholly by intellect. This does not mean that Milstein plays in an academic or cool manner; his art is thoughtful and controlled – in the very best sense of the meaning. And this should certainly not be equated with “deliberateness”. On the contrary. Milstein’s tremendous virtuosity, particularly in the fiendishly difficult final movements of Tchaikovsky’s and Mendelssohn’s concertos, takes both works to new heights.

As part of Deutsche Grammophon’s release of a limited and numbered edition of legendary conductor Claudio Abbado’s complete recordings for DG, Decca and Philips, you can now enjoy Volume 8 in a series of 16 digital albums, which are organised in alphabetical order of composer name. This eighth e-album presents the complete symphonies of Felix Mendelssohn, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

No doubt, this is one of the pinnacles of Abbado and the LSO recording collaboration; these symphonies are presented with a keener sense of joy, bite and forward momentum, perfectly executed throughout by the orchestra. As supplement, the set brings the Scherzo that Mendelssohn orchestrated to become a new 3rd movement of the Symphony no.1, as well excellent performances of 3 overtures, including the famous Hebrides. Note that this is the first edition of the set; there's a recent one that comes with more overtures, that were originally released in a separate cd.

As part of Deutsche Grammophon’s release of a limited and numbered edition of Claudio Abbado’s complete recordings for DG, Decca and Philips, you can now enjoy Volume 12 in a series of 16 digital albums, which are organised in alphabetical order of composer name. This twelfth digital album presents music by Schumann and Tchaikovsky.

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)… ~ Joseph Stevenson, Rovi