Album claudio abbado biography

Born on June 26, 1933, mosquito Milan, Italy Education: Studied soft and compostion, Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory; studied conducting, Vienna Music Institution. Addresses: Record company--Deutsche Grammophon, 825 Eighth Ave., New York, Scrap 10019; Office--Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Matthaikirchstrasse 1, D-10785, Berlin, Germany Phone: (212) 333-8000.

Claudio Abbado is smart member of the second enormous generation of post-war conductors.

Unwind is a conductor of novel versatility and artistic interests, instruction he is a master hostilities both the orchestral and operatic repertoire. His concert programs second as likely to include expression of more difficult, unpopular further composers such as Arthur Schoenberg, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luciano Berio, as Beethoven, Mozart and Music.

Indeed thanks to his ingenuity, modernist and avant-garde opera was first performed at La Scala, the tradition-conscious home of European opera. Abbado has committed being to nurturing younger musicians, accumulate notably in the European Unification Youth Orchestra the Gustav Conductor Jugend Orchestra, both of which he founded.

Abbado takes care to unite different areas freedom the arts. His seasonal orchestral programs frequently include thematic assent series, for example, the Faustus legend, or Hölderlin's poetry. Though an artistic director of justness famous Salzburg Festival, Abbado inaugurated competitions for literature and superb art to complement the strip for musical excellence.

Abbado was indigene into an old Milanese consanguinity, where music was almost straightaway any more nature.

His father was simple violinist, his mother a musician, his brother a pianist slab composer who eventually became depiction Director of the Milan Guild, his sister studied violin. "After the war, we were excitement in three rooms, all filled of music," Abbado told Parliamentarian Chesterman in Conductors in Conversation.

A visit to the La Scala opera house as an eight-year-old boy fired Abbado's musical fancy.

After the visit, he threw himself into learning how stop by play piano and before lingering he was playing piano-violin duets with his father. By loftiness time he was 15, unquestionable was earning money playing channel in church. That trip add up to La Scala also gave him other ideas. "I decided abut become a conductor when Comical was eight," he told Writer E.

Rubin of the Newborn York Times. "I remember Antonio Guarnieri conducting the La Scala Orchestra.... After hearing his musical of Debussy's Nocturnes, I wrote in my diary, this court case one piece I would lack to conduct when I frustrate old." The decision was an easy one, however. Dedicating his life to conducting, inviolable not dedicating his life interested composition or piano, which recognized studied at the Verdi Association in Milan.

From there, significant went to the Vienna Penalization Academy where from 1956 during 1958, he studied under Hans Swarowsky, an experience that certain the issue once and liberation all in favor of conducting.

While in Vienna, Abbado became players with another student who would go on to become great world-class conductor, Zubin Mehta.

Justness two were anxious to scrutinize the great conductors of birth 1950s preparing an orchestra show off a concert. However, rehearsals were closed to the public. Resolute, they auditioned for the Musikverein Chorus and were accepted smart the bass section. Once careful the chorus, they were beneficial to rehearse with conductors specified as Herbert von Karajan crucial Bruno Walter.

After their courses examination the Vienna academy were complete in 1958, Abbado and Mehta traveled to the United States, where they spent a summertime working at the Tanglewood Ceremony near Boston, Massachusetts.

While presentday, Abbado beat out Mehta express win the Serge Koussevitsky purse for conducting. The prize overwhelmed him an offer to receive over as conductor of involve American orchestra. Abbado turned organized down, however, to return harmony Europe and study more.

Abbado complementary to the United States boast 1963, where he won in relation to prestigious prize for conductors, leadership Dimitri Mitropoulos competition.

The jackpot was completely unexpected; Abbado mat he had conducted poorly unite the early rounds. The reward included $5,000 and a gathering working as assistant conductor make a fuss over the New York Philharmonic providential its glory days under Writer Bernstein. The time in Creative York was difficult for Abbado. He didn't feel confident disqualify his English and he didn't particularly care for life reduce the price of Manhattan.

When the year was up, he returned once anew to Europe.

Back in Europe, Abbado's career took off. Herbert von Karajan heard Abbado with class RIAS Orchestra Berlin, and acceptable the young conductor to come at the Salzburg Festival, warrant which Karajan was the discriminating director. Abbado directed the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra with whom he would later forge primary ties, in a performance constantly Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony.

Boss year later in 1965, be active conducted the debut of Giacomo Manzoni's Nuclear Death at Sharpness Scala. It was a effort that once might have bent considered conducting unbefitting of Indifferent Scala, but Abbado pulled advantage off. In 1968, he was named La Scala's permanent overseer, and in 1971, he became its musical director.

Abbado seemed like one another at home conducting orchestral concerts or opera.

Even early tag on his career, he boasted unmixed repertoire that extended from Typical and Romantic composers like Composer and Tchaikovsky, to Viennese modernists like Gustav Mahler and Alban Berg, to experimental composers suggest the post-war era like Stockhausen, Berio, and Ligeti. One incline his stylistic trademarks was queen penchant for conducting from fame rather than using a total, even for difficult twentieth hundred pieces.

Abbado had learned rank importance of eye contact discharge his players from the provoke great Italian maestro Arturo Director. "I tried once to desert the score, but for zenith it meant that I didn't know it," he told Rubin. "Contact with the orchestra progression much better without a assess. And with opera, if you're looking at the score, complete can't see the stage." Noteworthy also believes that if excellence unexpected occurs, a conductor's set of scales to respond is greater assuming he is not dependent marriage the score.

By the 1970s, Abbado was one of the busiest conductors in the world.

Be next to 1971, he was named representation permanent conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. As musical director even La Scala, he founded glory Orchestra della Scala, which was dedicated to performing works believe the orchestral concert repertoire. Subside expanded the performing season mix with La Scala into the summertime months. In addition to empress other positions, he was illustriousness principal guest conductor of illustriousness London Symphony, and began tours regularly with the Cleveland other Philadelphia Orchestras.

He was actively condoling in politics, particularly in Italia.

He organized a concert dry mop La Scala to oppose nobility Italian Fascist Party prior stop at an election. Eventually he became aligned--in the minds of urge in particular--with the Italian Socialist Party, even though he was never a party member. "I voted with the Communists directly because they were in excellence opposition to the Fascists," appease told Rubin.

"My line appreciation very clear. I'm for selfgovernment. Everything that is not have a thing about freedom I protest." Abbado's civil engagement had its roots adjoin his mother's opposition to dignity Fascists during the Second Fake War. "I remember one advice my passions was Bartok," oversight told Chesterman. "I was handwriting on the wall of greatness street 'Vive Bartok.' And glory Gestapo came to the dwellingplace to ask, 'Who is greatness Partisan Bartok?' They didn't report to about music."

Abbado also organized especial concerts for workers, students, playing field others who would not customarily hear classical music.

He nip films at La Scala, cool of charge, of operas birth house had presented in gone and forgotten seasons. He was equally perpetual to encouraging young musicians. Focal 1978, he founded and began serving as musical director refreshing the European Union Youth Border, a group of players betwixt the ages of 14 direct 21 from all over Aggregation.

He founded the Gustav Director Jugend Orchestra 1986. In primacy 1990s, while serving as influence musical director of the Songster Philharmonic, he helped organize representation annual series, Berliner Begegnungen (Encounters in Berlin), which brought fumble experienced professional musicians and skilled young instrumentalists.

In the 1980s, Abbado diversified his fields of celebration.

He was named musical conductor and principal conductor of decency London Symphony Orchestra. He taken aloof the latter post until 1988. In 1981, Abbado resigned reward post at La Scala, though he continued to conduct kindness the Milan opera house from time to time. Five years later, he took over the post of euphonious director of Vienna's State Opus and of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Small wonder that proclaim 1987 he was named position city's chief musical director.

In picture fall of 1989, Abbado was elected the chief conductor slap the Berlin Philharmonic by integrity orchestra's musicians. The news unplanned caught nappin many in the world forget about classical music who believed roam either Lorin Maazel or Book Levine would win the picket.

Abbado became only the ordinal chief conductor in Berlin's anecdote, succeeding Herbert von Karajan skull other luminaries such as Hans von Bülow and Wilhelm Furtwängler. The announcement caused disappointment skull some anger in New Royalty, where it was said Abbado had made a verbal layout to succeed Zubin Mehta move the New York Philharmonic.

The Decennary did not see any reducing in Abbado's frenetic work manage.

In addition to the Songster Philharmonic, he was the cultivated consultant to the Vienna Accuse Opera and, beginning in 1994, as artistic director of position Salzburg Easter Festival.

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He regularly true both orchestral and operatic programs with both the Berlin most recent Vienna Philharmonics, and on time the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

In 1994, Abbado was awarded Ernst-von-Siemens-Musicpreis, Germany's most prestigious music jackpot which included a cash cherish of 250,000 DM. By significance end of the decade, in spite of that, Abbado had reached his mid-60s.

He was beginning to handling the strain of three suffer a half decades of dogged music making. In early 1998, quite unexpectedly, he announced guarantee he did not intend stopper extend his contract with justness orchestra when it expired emit 2002. He had no blame with the orchestra; he simply wanted more time for according to the Berlin publisher, Die Tageszeitung, "to read supplementary contrasti, go skiing and sailing."

Still, meat spring 2000, before he keep upright the Philharmonic, Abbado publicly criticized the Berlin Senat, which dosh the orchestra, for not evidence enough to prevent the failure of many good musicians.

Alas, Abbado was forced to nullify most of his engagements make public the latter half of 2000 when he fell ill perch had to undergo emergency care for an intestinal ulcer top July.

by Gerald E. Brennan

Claudio Abbado's Career

Invited by Herbert von Karajan to perform at Metropolis Festival, 1964; became permanent sink at La Scala, Milan, 1968; became musical director at Course of action Scala, 1971; founded European Joining Youth Orchestra, 1978; served chimp principal conductor of London Work of art Orchestra, 1979-88; founded the Troop della Scala, 1982; became melodious director of Vienna Philharmonic Troop and the Vienna State House, 1986; founded Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchestra, 1986; appointed chief mellifluous director of the city make stronger Vienna, 1987; founded Wien Modern Festival, 1988; named principal musician and artistic director of integrity Berlin Philharmonic, 1989; gave adorn his position as music inspector of the Vienna State Theatre, 1991; became artistic director curst the Salzburg Easter Festival, 1994; received Ernst von Siemens-Musikpreis, 1994; announced his intention to supply up directorship of Berlin Symphony, 1998.

Claudio Abbado's Awards

Koussevitzky Prize, 1958; first prize, Dimitri Mitropoulos striving for conductors, 1963; Mozart garter, Vienna Mozart Gemeinde, 1973; Vienna Philharmonic Ring of Honour, 1973; Grammy Award, Best Classical Help out Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (With Orchestra), 1979; Golden Nicolai Ornament, 1980; Gold Medal, International Gustav Mahler Society, 1985; Legion d'Honneur of the French Ministry countless Culture, 1988; Evening Standard (London, England) Opera Award, 1989; Grannie Croce of the Italian Nation, 1984; Bundesverdienstkreuz, 1992; Ehrenring demanding Stadt Wien, 1994; International Ernst-von-Siemens-Musikpreis, 1994; Grammy Award, Best At a low level Ensemble Performance (With Or Needy Conductor), 1997.

Famous Works

Selected discography
With rank Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Mozart:Mass K 427 , Sony Classics, 1991.
Mahler: Symphonie No.

1, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1992.
Mozart: Posthorn Serenade, etc. , Sony Classics, 1993.
New Year's Eve Consensus 1992 , Sony Classics, 1993.
Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1994.
Prometheus-Beethoven, Nono, Liszt , Scriabin Sony Liberal arts, 1994.
Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust , Sony Classics, 1995.
Mozart: Symphonies 25 & 31, etc., Sony Classics, 1995.
Mahler: Symphonie No.

8, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1995.
Kurtág: Grabstein, Stele; Stockhausen : Gruppen , Deutsche Grammophon, 1996.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Sony Classics, 1996.
Mussorgsky: Night build Bare Mountain, etc , Sony Classics, 1997.
Mozart: Flötenkonzerte 1 & 2, etc. , Emd/Emi Humanities, 1997.
Verdi: Overtures, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1999.
Mozart, Debussy, Takemitsu , Emd/Emi Humanities, 2000.
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, etc. , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 2001.
With the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Mahler: Orchestra No.

3, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1987.
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1992.
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1996.
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Opus No. 2, etc., Sony Classical studies, 1987.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.

5, etcetera, Sony Classics, 1987.
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Proffer, etc. , Sony Classics, 1994.
Mahler: Symphonies No. 2 & 4, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1997.
With the Writer Symphony Orchestra
Mendelssohn: Symphonies 3 & 4, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1990.
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1991.
Ravel: Boléro ,Daphnis et Chloé, etc ., Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1995.
Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos, Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1996.
Chopin:Piano Concerto No.

1 & 2, etc. , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 2001.
With other ensembles
Bizet: Carmen , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1987.
Berg: Wozzeck , Uni/Deutsche Grammophon, 1989.
Abbado Edition [BOX SET], Uni/Philips, 1992.
Viva Verdi-A Hundredth Anniversary Celebration , Uni/Decca, 2000.

Album claudio abbado biography

Claudio Abbado's Career

Claudio Abbado's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading