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Thankfully Abbado left us a large heritage of recordings to
remind us of his huge achievement. To add to this there will, no doubt, be more
live recordings issued that will add to our appreciation of this great
conductor, such as this present release.
These Lucerne Festival www.lucernefestival.ch recordings date
from 1978 and 1988. The performance of Schubert’s
Symphony No.8 (7) in B minor, D.759 ‘Unfinished’ with the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra took place in the Kunsthaus, Lucerne on 5th
September 1978.
There is a pensive opening to the Allegro moderato, taken at a moderate pace. When the main theme
appears it too is taken at a surprisingly sedate pace, yet with a lovely flow.
The dramatic outbursts are beautifully handled with Abbado bringing out a depth
in Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ that is often missing in some blandly beautiful
performances. The repeat of the opening adds a dark mysteriousness, with tragic
overtones. Abbado brings so much drama, atmosphere and occasional darkness to
this work. The Vienna Philharmonic is as fine as one would expect, delivering
all that Abbado requires of them.
Abbado lightens the mood for the Andante con moto though he keeps a heavy tread. There is a
magically conceived central section, slow and withdrawn, yet lightly textured. There
are weighty outbursts, Beethovenian in character as well as some lovely wind
passages. The second subject is full of a care and insight that reveals so many
facets with a beautiful coda that is sensitively and exquisitely done.
For me this performance was nothing short of revelatory. The
live analogue recording is nicely done and the applause is edited out.
Abbado returned to the
Kunsthaus, Lucerne on 25th August 1988 for the two other works
on this disc, though this time conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 2 in D major, Op.36 has some beautiful pacing in the Adagio molto brooding and with plenty of
weight before the Allegro con brio
arrives which really dashes ahead, with Abbado drawing some pretty taut
playing, full of spirit and with beautifully controlled dynamics.
The Larghetto is beautifully
shaped with fine clarity and great poise from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
before a lithe, rhythmically buoyant Scherzo.
Allegro – Trio where the woodwind passages sound through the lovely chamber
textures nicely.
Abbado hurtles straight into the Allegro molto with some terrifically turned phrases. There is a
lovely sense of flow, with fine passages from the COE’s strings and Beethoven’s
lovely woodwind finely pointed up. Their phrasing is superb whilst Abbado has
them responding to every little dramatic twist and turn.
The recording is generally very fine though not with the
widest and most detailed of soundstages. There is some audience noise but
applause is edited out.
Finally we have Wagner’s
Siegfried Idyll where, in the opening, Abbado keeps up the tempo by just
the right degree, revealing lovely elements of this work. Abbado draws some
exquisite rubato from the orchestra as well as some lovely slower passages with
the COE’s horns occasionally adding a lovely touch. Abbado brings out some
lovely details and, later, the orchestra’s wind section makes a glorious sound.
How Abbado handles all the little surges of passion is remarkable and the coda
is truly wonderful.
This is a Siegfried Idyll that should be heard. Again the applause
is edited out.
This is a wonderful tribute to a much missed musician as
well as an example of the treasures that the Lucerne Festival and Audite have
in store.
Michael Haefliger, Executive and Artistic Director of the
Lucerne Festival, provides a fitting tribute in the booklet notes together with
a short essay ‘Claudio Abbado and Lucerne – a homage’ by Peter Hagmann.
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