Abbado's farewell to Beethoven — conducted in Rome, not Berlin. The maestro's final bow.
Claudio Abbado conducted Beethoven’s symphonies on many occasions in the Philharmonie in Berlin. But only at the end of his tenure as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker did he decide to give a performance of the complete symphonies. It was left to audiences of his native Italy to witness these concerts in February 2001 in the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Direction
Abbado's economical, almost invisible conducting.
Sound
Santa Cecilia's warm acoustic embraces every phrase.
Production
Minimalist filming — orchestra as landscape.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Berliner Philharmoniker had played these symphonies hundreds of times, yet Abbado insisted on Rome's Santa Cecilia — his Italian roots, his chosen goodbye.
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