(Claudio Abbado (1933-2014)

[mahlerei]

Just heard the news of Abbado's passing, after a long struggle with ill health. So much fine music-making to be thankful for, not least his wonderful Mahler. Grazie, Maestro, grazie.

[pianobaba]

I think I will listen to the 9th with Abbado tonight.

Out of idle curiosity, I am reading in obituaries that Abbado performed Mahler at his return to La Scala concert on Oct 31 2013. Does anyone know which Mahler he performed?

[barry guerrero]

I really felt that Abbado was finally 'getting it right' in his recorded Mahler performances with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Regardless, his devotion to Mahler would never come into question. In music outside of Mahler, I really felt that he had more 'electricity' in his earlier years. But his Beethoven was another example of him needing time to get things right. While he'll be missed by many people, he no longer has to struggle with deteriorating health. RIP.

[Roffe]

R.I.P.
I love his Lucerne recordings. I've also attended a very memorable live performance of M5 with him and the BPO.

Roffe

[Penny]

RIP Claudio.  His M3 was the one that really defined it for me. 

[Roland Flessner]

In general, I have not been a fan of Abbado's Mahler. However, I have always held his CSO M5 in high regard, and I find this recording vastly superior to the live Berlin edition.

Coincidentally, last night, before I had heard about Abbado's passing, I played his CSO M1. I've been culling my collection recently, and It was on my out stack. I am pleased to say that it is an fine performance and recording, and that it has gone back into the main library.

In this recording, which I think was made in Orchestra Hall (venue and date are not mentioned), the CSO still sounded like Fritz Reiner's orchestra--the precision, the tonal beauty, and the uncanny impression that everyone was a virtuoso. Even if today's CSO is just as good, they can't sound like that in Orchestra Hall owing to the late-90s remodel.

Misgivings about Abbado's Mahler aside, I'll be revisiting some of my other Abbado/CSO CDs. The Prokofiev Lt. Kije and Scythian Suite are outstanding, to mention one example. I also like his Berg disc with the LSO, his Wozzeck from Vienna, and I'm sure I'll fish out some others.

As a guest conductor, he spent a lot of time here in Chicago and I'm sure many of our local music enthusiasts are saddened by his death.