Conductor Claudio Abbado Featured This Week on Symphony @ 7

This week on Symphony @ 7, we'll pay tribute to the great Italian conductor Claudio Abbado by presenting a range of recordings spanning different periods of his conducting career, culminating Friday evening in a big performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection. Claudio Abbado died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 80 after a long illness, but he kept on working until fairly recently.  I already acknowledged his passing in a recent blog post but want to take the opportunity now to present just a little of his recorded legacy.  He left many fine recordings with a number of different orchestras and I'm certain, many indelible memories for those people who were fortunate enough to be present at some of his performances. Tonight, we'll start with a London Symphony by Haydn with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and some Rachmaninoff.  Tuesday, it's Beethoven with the Leonore Overture No. 2 from the 1980's with the Vienna Philharmonic and a very recent release of the Violin concerto in D with the Orchestra Mozart and soloist Isabelle Faust.  Wednesday, Tchaikovsky with the Chicago Symphony, and Thursday, Paul Hindemith and Beethoven again. The best is for last on Friday evening.  Claudio Abbado was known as one of the great Mahler conductors, and we'll hear the Resurrection Symphony with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra that Abbado founded and nurtured.  For some who heard and saw his performances there, they were transcendent and illuminating experiences. Join me for a week of fine recordings from this great conductor on Symphony @ 7 here on Classical 101.