Gala from Berlin 1996 – with Claudio Abbado and Maxim Vengerov

There was a special magic to everything that Claudio Abbado touched, and never more so than when he conducted lighter repertoire. On New Year's Eve 1996, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, he took his inspiration from the songs and dances of Central Europe, ranging from the gypsy-inspired melodies of Brahms's Hungarian Dances to Ravel's ravishing, unmistakably Gallic take on the Viennese waltz, La Valse. The performances, unsurprisingly, are brimming over with poetry and panache. But as usual in Berlin at New Year, there are some very special guests. The Swedish Radio Choir sings Brahms's lovely Liebeslieder Waltzes, and Maxim Vengerov – then just 26 years old – brings the house down in Ravel's Tzigane.

Soloist: 

Maxim Vengerov (Violin)

Ensembles: 

Berliner Philharmoniker, Swedish Radio Choir

Conductor: 

Claudio Abbado