Your Favourite Claudio Abbado Recording

[barber olly]

Abbado has rarely made a bad recording,his early recordings for Decca Beethoven 7/Prometheus Ov, Mendelssohn 3/4, Hindemith Sym Met/Janacek Sinfonietta set a high standard - his first set of Mahler symphonies now seem to be overlooked, partly because of the many other Mahler sets - Bernstein, Boulez, Tennstedt, Solti, Rattle, Maazel, Bertini, Zinman, Haitink - and not least more Abbado, but his CSO 1/2/5 and VPO 3/4 were excellent as were his Vienna Bruckner 4/5/7. Whilst there are other conductors with greater French terroir I do like his Ravel and Debussy and his L'Arlesienne Suites whilst lacking Cluytens sleazy sax are wonderful interpretations. His Tchaik 2/4/5/6 on DGG great, and he could do Stravinsky and Prokofiev! I have, however, one issue with Abbado. As Chief Conductor of the LSO there was no legacy of performances or recordings of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst or any British composers. Could he have delivered a great Elgar 1 or Job!

[Petrushka]

As Chief Conductor of the LSO there was no legacy of performances or recordings of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst or any British composers. Could he have delivered a great Elgar 1 or Job!

Almost right. Abbado did conduct the Elgar Cello Concerto on the opening night concert of the Barbican in 1982. And yes, I do agree that he would have delivered a great Elgar 1 (and 2).

[tom_960]

I'm with Mahlerei - it has to be the Boccanegra. Freni and Cappuccilli in the recognition scene - indescribable in words! Of all the things I DIDN'T see at the ROH, the visit by the Scala company with that production is the one I most sorely regret.

Btw, why does one rarely see recital / compilation CDs by Cappuccilli?

[umslopogaas]

I've just looked through my collection and am astonished by the range of music he conducts. I've got recordings of works by Bartok, Berg, Bizet, Brahms, Bruckner, Hindemith, Janacek, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Nono, Prokofiev. And he is famous for Mahler, though for some unaccountable reason I havent got any. I think my favourite would be a Decca LP of Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Weber, coupled with Janacek's Sinfonietta, with the LSO.