Monday, January 20, 2014

In Memorium: Claudio Abbado (1933-2014)

My phone buzzed in the middle of the night and I was awoken.  Unwisely, I checked my phone.  I noticed that social media had been flooded with deeply saddening news:
Maestro Claudio Abbado (1933-2014)


Maestro Claudio Abbado was no more. He had succumb to his long battle with cancer.  

I am so grateful to have his unsurpassed recordings as a testament to his musicality.  His interpretations have always been so authentic and filled with love and joy.

It is with sadness but gratitude that I share some of my favourites with you today:

You will not find a Brandeburg set which contains such a fresh and honest approach to these great works. The playing is superb and Abbado's direction is gentle and intelligent.  These have become a staple in my listening: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCBwbQTDLKQ)



From Mozart's transcendent Requiem Mass in d minor, Abbado's surreal conducting a few years ago at the Lucerne Festival still touches the core of the soul.  One is left breathless by the gentleness of Abbado's direction: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33JT0YsBSRI&list=PLEVfEItA1-VbgnW--DmfNn5TtMT_R9DrM&index=7)



Here is another moment in which Abbado's heart, spirit, and intelligence came together to preserve a moment of beauty and silence at the end of Mozart's Requiem in the same performance in Lucerne. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLP6kqcmPRI)



Finally, one can not help but be crushed by his legendary performance of Brahms Second Piano Concert with fellow Italian Maurizio Pollini at the keyboard.  These forty minutes of music have changed my life and the humanity of this performance has left a deep impact on me.  Dear reader and listener, I invite you to appreciate these recordings: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n94vcKmDJwo)



Rest in peace Maestro Abbado.  Your approach to music and your humility to present what the composer left in the score are an inspiration to us all.

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