Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

opera house in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, principal conductor of the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...

, principal conductor of the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, principal guest conductor of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

, music director of the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...

, founder and director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, founder and director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founding artistic director of the Orchestra Mozart and music director of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Biography

Early life and background

The Abbado family for several generations enjoyed both wealth and respect in their community. Abbado's great-grandfather tarnished the family's reputation by gambling away the family fortune. His son, Abbado's grandfather, became a professor at the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...

. He re-established the family's reputation and also showed talent as an amateur musician. Born in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

on 26 June 1933, Claudio Abbado was the son of violinist Michelangelo Abbado, and the brother of the musician

Marcello Abbado Marcello Abbado (7 October 19264 June 2020) was an Italian pianist, composer, conductor and academic teacher. His compositions include several orchestral works, two ballets, numerous pieces for solo piano, and chamber music. As a pianist, he pla ...

(born 1926). His father, a professional violinist and a professor at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory, was his first piano teacher. His mother, Maria Carmela Savagnone, also was an adept pianist. Marcello Abbado later became a concert pianist, composer, and teacher at the Rossini Conservatory in

Pesaro Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...

. His sister also exhibited talent in music but did not pursue a musical career after her marriage. His other brother later became a successful architect. Abbado's childhood encompassed the Nazi occupation of Milan. During that time, Abbado's mother spent time in prison for harbouring a Jewish child. This period solidified his anti-fascist political sentiments. Claudio himself is known for having a famous anecdote about how when he was just eleven years old he wrote "Viva Bartók" on a local wall which caught the attention of the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

and sent them on the hunt for the culprit. His passionate opposition to fascism continued into his adult years. During his youth his musical interest developed, attending performances at La Scala as well as orchestral rehearsals in Milan led by such conductors as

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

and Wilhelm Furtwängler. He later recalled how he hated seeing Toscanini in rehearsal. Other conductors who influenced him were

Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a Germany, German-born Conducting, conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French people, French cit ...

, Josef Krips and Herbert von Karajan. It was upon hearing Antonio Guarnieri's conducting of

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

's '' Nocturnes'' that Abbado resolved to become a conductor himself. At age 15, Abbado first met

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

when Bernstein was conducting a performance featuring Abbado's father as a soloist. Bernstein commented, "You have the eye to be a conductor."

Education and early engagements

Abbado studied piano, composition, and conducting at the Milan Conservatory, and graduated with a degree in piano in 1955. The following year, he studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky at the Vienna Academy of Music, on the recommendation of

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

. Abbado and Mehta both joined the academy chorus to be able to watch such conductors as

and Herbert von Karajan in rehearsal. He also spent time at the Chigiana Academy in

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

. In 1958, Abbado made his conducting debut in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

. That summer, he won the international Serge Koussevitzky Competition for conductors at the Tanglewood Music Festival, which resulted in a number of operatic conducting engagements in Italy. In 1959, he conducted his first opera, '' The Love for Three Oranges'', in Trieste. He made his

conducting debut in 1960. In 1963, he won the Dimitri Mitropoulos Prize for conductors, which allowed him to work for five months with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

as an assistant conductor to Bernstein. Abbado made his New York Philharmonic professional conducting debut on 7 April 1963. A 1965 appearance at the RIAS Festival in Berlin led to an invitation from Herbert von Karajan to the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

the following year to work with the Vienna Philharmonic. In 1965, Abbado made his British debut with the Hallé Orchestra, followed in 1966 by his

(LSO) debut. Abbado taught chamber music for three years during the early 1960s in Parma.

Conducting career

In 1969, Abbado became the principal conductor at

. Subsequently, he became the company's music director in 1972. He took the title of joint artistic director, along with Giorgio Strehler and Carlo Maria Badini, in 1976. During his tenure, he extended the opera season to four months, and focused on giving inexpensive performances for the working class and students. In addition to the standard opera repertoire, he presented contemporary operas, including works of Luigi Dallapiccola and of Luigi Nono, in particular, the world premiere of Nono's '' Al gran sole carico d'amore''. In 1976, he brought the La Scala company to the US for its American debut in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

for the

American Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memo ...

. In 1982, he founded the Filarmonica della Scala for the performance of orchestral repertoire by the house orchestra in concert. Abbado remained affiliated with La Scala until 1986. On 7 October 1968, Abbado made his debut with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

with '' Don Carlo''. He began to work more extensively with the Vienna Philharmonic (VPO) after 1971, which included two engagements as conductor of the orchestra's New Year's Day concert, in 1988 and 1991. He was a recipient of both the Philharmonic Ring and the Golden Nicolai Medal from the Vienna Philharmonic. He served as Principal Guest Conductor of the

(LSO) from 1975 to 1979 and became its Principal Conductor in 1979, a post he held until 1987. (He was also the LSO's Music Director from 1984 until the end of his principal conductor tenure.) From 1982 to 1985, he was principal guest conductor of the

(CSO). In 1986, Abbado became the ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD) of the city of Vienna, and in parallel, was music director of the

from 1986 to 1991. During his tenure as GMD in Vienna, in 1988, he founded the music festival Wien Modern. There he backed numerous contemporary composers including

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde music, avant-garde composers in the latter half of the ...

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

, and Luigi Nono.

Berlin Philharmonic

Abbado first conducted the

in December 1966. In the late 1980s it was suspected that he might become music director of the New York Philharmonic. However, after appearances as a guest conductor, in 1989, the Berlin Philharmonic elected him as its chief conductor and artistic director, in succession to Herbert von Karajan. During his Berlin tenure, Abbado oversaw an increased presence of contemporary music in the orchestra's programming, in contrast to Karajan who had focused on late Romantic works. In 1992, he co-founded 'Berlin Encounters', a

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

festival. In 1994, he became artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival. In 1998, he announced his departure from the Berlin Philharmonic after the expiration of his contract in 2002. Before his departure, he was diagnosed with

stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the Gastric mucosa, lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a numb ...

in 2000, which led to his cancellation of a number of engagements with the orchestra. Subsequent medical treatment led to the removal of a portion of his digestive system, and he cancelled his conducting activities for 3 months in 2001. In 2004, Abbado returned to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic for the first time since his departure as chief conductor, for concerts of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 recorded live for commercial release. The resulting CD won Best Orchestral Recording and Record of the Year in '' Gramophone'' magazine's 2006

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

s. The Orchestra Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic established the ''Claudio Abbado Kompositionspreis'' (Claudio Abbado Composition Prize) in his honour, which has since been awarded in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

Death

GraveClaudioAbbado-FexCrastoGR RomanDeckert20072024-04

Abbado died from

in Bologna on 20 January 2014 at the age of 80. One week later, in tribute to him, the orchestra "Filarmonica della Scala", conducted by

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...

, performed the slow movement of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's Symphony No. 3 (Marcia funebre: Adagio assai in C minor) to an empty theatre, with the performance relayed to a crowd in the square in front of the opera house and live-streamed via La Scala's website. Abbado's mortal remains were cremated and an urn with a part of his ashes was buried at the cemetery of the 15th-century chapel of Fex-Crasta in the Val Fex. It is a part of the municipality of Sils-Maria, a village in the Swiss canton of Graubünden where Abbado had a vacation home. His musical estate was transferred to the

Berlin State Library The Berlin State Library (; officially abbreviated as ''SBB'', colloquially ''Stabi'') is a universal library in Berlin, Germany, and a property of the German public cultural organization the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (). Founded in ...

where it is being catalogued and digitised.

Personal life

From his first marriage in 1956 to singer Giovanna Cavazzoni, Abbado had two children: Daniele Abbado (born 1958), who became an opera director and Alessandra (born 1959). His first marriage was dissolved. From his second marriage, to Gabriella Cantalupi, Abbado had a son, Sebastiano. His four-year relationship with Viktoria Mullova resulted in Mullova's first child, a son, the jazz bassist, Misha Mullov-Abbado. Abbado's nephew, the son of his brother, Marcello, is the conductor Roberto Abbado.

Conducting

Repertoire

Amongst a wide range of Romantic works which he recorded and performed, Abbado had a particular affinity with the music of

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...

, whose symphonies he recorded several times. Despite this, he never managed to complete a cycle with a single orchestra: in a mix of studio and concert releases, he recorded Symphonies 1–2 and 5–7 in Chicago, Symphonies 2–4, 9 and the Adagio from 10 in Vienna, Symphonies 1 and 3–9 in Berlin, and Symphonies 1–7 and 9 in Lucerne. A planned Eighth in Lucerne (the intended culmination of his traversal of the symphonies there) had to be cancelled owing to his ill health. The symphony was finally performed and recorded in 2016 under Riccardo Chailly as a tribute to Abbado. A further Tenth Adagio recorded live in Berlin in 2011 was issued as part of a Berliner Philharmoniker Mahler set in 2020. He was also noted for his interpretations of modern works by composers such as

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

, Giacomo Manzoni, Luigi Nono, Bruno Maderna,

, Giovanni Sollima, Roberto Carnevale, Franco Donatoni and George Benjamin.

Musical style

Abbado tended to speak very little in rehearsal, sometimes using the simple request to orchestras to "Listen". This was a reflection of his preference for communication as a conductor via physical gesture and the eyes, and his perception that orchestras did not like conductors who spoke a great deal in rehearsal. Clive Gillinson characterised Abbado's style as follows: "...he basically doesn't say anything in rehearsals, and speaks so quietly, because he's so shy, so people can get bored. But it works because everyone knows the performances are so great. I've never known anybody more compelling. He's the most natural conductor in the world. Some conductors need to verbally articulate what they want through words, but Claudio just shows it, just does it." In performance, Abbado often conducted from memory, as he himself noted: "...it is indispensable to know the score perfectly and be familiar with the life, the works and the entire era of the composer. I feel more secure without a score. Communication with the orchestra is easier."

Recordings

Abbado recorded extensively for a variety of labels, including Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Columbia (later Sony Classical), and EMI. He conducted many opera recordings which received various awards. Among these were the Diapason Award in 1966 and 1967; also in 1967 he received the Grand Prix du Disque. In 1968 he was presented with the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis and also the Dutch Edison Award. In 1973, the Vienna Mozart Society awarded him the Mozart Medal. Abbado received the 1997

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in the Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without conductor) category for "Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1 With Finale 1921, Op. 24 No. 1" and the 2005 Grammy Award in the Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra) category for "Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3" performed by

Martha Argerich Martha Argerich (; ; born 5 June 1941) is an Argentine classical concert pianist. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argerich gave her debut concert at the age of eight before receiving further piano training in Europe. At an early age, she won sev ...

. In 2012, Abbado was voted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame that April, and in May, he received the conductor prize at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards.

Notable recordings

The following represents a selection of Abbado's most well-known recordings. *

, ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

,'' live recording with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Arnold Schoenberg Choir, 2010 (Decca) *Beethoven, Berg, Violin Concertos, recorded with Isabelle Faust and Orchestra Mozart, 2012 ( Harmonia Mundi), winner of ''Gramophone Classical Music Award'' - Concerto *Berg, '' Wozzeck'', live performance with the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera, 1987 (DG) *Berg, Lulu Suite, Altenberg Lieder, 3 Orchestra pieces, recorded with Margaret Price and

, 1997 (DG, The Originals-Legendary Recordings), winner of ''Gran Premio del Disco, Madrid'' * Brahms, '' Hungarian Dances'', studio recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, 1982 (DG) *Brahms, Symphonies Nos. 1-4, studio recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, 1988 (DG) * Bruckner, Symphony no. 9, live recording with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, 2013 (DG), winner of ''Gramophone'''s Best Record of the Year (2015) * Chopin,

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

, Piano Concerto No. 1 and Piano Concerto No. 1, recorded with

and the

, 1968 (DG, The Originals) * Mahler, Symphony No. 6, live performance with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, 2005 (DG), winner of ''Gramophone'''s Best Record of the Year (2006) *

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

, Symphonies Nos 1-5 and Overtures, studio recordings with London Symphony Orchestra 1985 (DG) *

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, ''The Magic Flute'', live performance with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Arnold Schoenberg Choir, 2005 (DG) *Mozart, Piano Concertos 20, 21, 25, 27 with Friedrich Gulda and the Vienna Philharmonic 1975, 1976 (DG) *Mozart, Piano Concertos 20 & 25, live performance with

and the Orchestra Mozart at Lucerne Festival, 2014 (DG), bbado's final recording*Mozart, Violin Concertos Nos. 1-5 and Sinfonia Concertante, recorded with Giuliano Carmignola and the Orchestra Mozart, 2008 (Archiv Production, DG) * Prokofiev,

Alexander Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (; ; monastic name: ''Aleksiy''; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) was Prince of Novgorod (1236–1240; 1241–1256; 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1249–1263), and Grand Prince of Vladimir (1252–1263). ...

, Lieutenant Kije,

Scythian Suite The ''Scythian Suite'', Op. 20 is an orchestral suite by Sergei Prokofiev written in 1915. Background Prokofiev originally wrote the music for the ballet ''Ala i Lolli'', the story of which takes place among the Scythians. Commissioned by Sergei ...

, recorded with the

and

, 1995 (DG, The Originals) *Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 / Ravel: Piano Concerto in G, recorded with Martha Argerich and Berlin Philharmonic, 1967 (DG, The Originals) bbado's first DG Album winner of G''rand Prix du Disque'', ''Deutsche Schallplatenpreis'', ''Gran Premio del Disco, Madrid'' * Rossini, '' Il barbiere di Siviglia'', recorded with the

and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus, 1972 (DG, The Originals) *Rossini, '' La Cenerentola'', recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Opera Chorus, 1971 (DG), bbado's first opera recording*Rossini, ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'', recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic and

, 1989 (DG) *Rossini, '' Il Viaggio a Reims'', live performance with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Prague Philharmonic Chorus, 1985 (DG), winner of ''Gramophone Classical Music Award'' - Opera *Rossini, Overtures, recorded with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, 1991 (DG) *

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

, Symphonies No. 1-6, 8-9, studio recordings with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, 1988 (DG), winner of ''Gramophone Classical Music Award'' - Instrumental * Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1, live performance with Martha Argerich and the Berlin Philharmonic, 1983 (DG) * Verdi, ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', live performance with Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, 1985 (DG, The Originals), winner of ''Orphée d'or'', ''Record Academy Prize'' Tokyo, '' Grand Prix Du Disque'', ''Prix Mondial du disque de Montreux,'' "Premi della Criticia Discografica Italiana" *Verdi, '' Simon Boccanegra'', studio recording with Teatro alla Scala, 1977 (DG, The Originals), winner of ''Grand Prix du Disque'', ''International Record Critics Award'', '' Edison Award'', ''Prix Caecitia'', Brussels, ''Gran Premio del Disco, Madrid''

Honours and awards

* Koussevitzky Prize, 1958 * Dimitri Mitropoulos Memorial International Competition, 1963 (Won the one-year position as assistant conductor to

at the

.) * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 12 July 1984 * Mahler Medal, 1985 * Grand cross of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, 1986 * City of Vienna, Ehrenring onor ring 1994 * Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, 1994 * Medal for Meritorious for Culture and Art, 13 January 1997 * Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2002 * Praemium Imperiale, 2003 * Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, 2003 * Wolf Prize in Arts, Wolff Prize in Arts, 2008 Abbado received honorary doctorates from the universities of University of Ferrara, Ferrara (1990), University of Cambridge, Cambridge (1994), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen (1986) and University of Havana, Havana. On 30 August 2013, President of Italy, President Giorgio Napolitano, appointed Abbado to the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Italian Senate as a Senator for life, in honour of his "outstanding cultural achievements". Abbado became a member of the Public Education and Cultural Heritage Commission of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Italian Senate on 25 September 2013.

Videography

* ''New Year's Eve Concert 1992: Richard Strauss Gala'' with

, Kathleen Battle, Renée Fleming, Andreas Schmidt (baritone), Andreas Schmidt, Frederica von Stade and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Kultur Video DVD, D4209, 2007 * ''Hearing the Silence'' (Documentary), Berliner Philharmoniker, Lucerne Festival Orchestra. * "Beethoven, Symphonies 3 & 9, Berliner Philharmoniker." Euroarts, 2 DVD set. Symphony No. 3 performed by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecelia, Rome, February 2001. Symphony No. 9 performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker, May 2000 / August 2002, in Munich. The DVD of Symphony NO. 3 offers "Conductor Camera" sequences, in which the orchestra's view of the conductor may be selected. Symphony 9 performers include Karita Mattila, soprano; Violetta Urmana, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Moser, tenor; Eike Wilm Schulte, baritone; the Swedish Radio Choir and the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir; Chorus Master, Tönu Kaljuste.

References

Sources

* * * * * *

External links

*
Claudio Abbado
at Deutsche Grammophon
Claudio Abbado
at Sony BMG Masterworks
Claudio Abbado discography
*
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, 'Maestro With Cult Status', page on Claudio Abbado

''Gramophone'' artist page on Claudio Abbado

Presidenza della Repubblica, Italian-language page on Claudio Abbado and state honours from Italy

Elisabetta Povoledo, "Thousands Pay Tribute to Abbado in Front of La Scala". ''New York Times'', "ArtsBeat" blog, 27 January 2014

3 February 1985 {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbado, Claudio 1933 births 2014 deaths People of Piedmontese descent Italian conductors (music) Italian male conductors (music) 20th-century Italian conductors (music) 21st-century Italian conductors (music) 21st-century Italian male musicians Music directors (opera) Music directors of the Vienna State Opera London Symphony Orchestra principal conductors Principal conductors of the Berlin Philharmonic Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists Sony Classical Records artists Deutsche Grammophon artists EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists Grammy Award winners Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music Wolf Prize in Arts laureates University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Accademia Musicale Chigiana alumni Milan Conservatory alumni Italian expatriates in Austria Italian expatriates in the United Kingdom Italian expatriates in Germany Italian life senators Musicians from Milan Deaths from cancer in Emilia-Romagna Deaths from stomach cancer in Italy Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winners Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale 20th-century Italian male musicians