Abbado conducts Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 8

Schumann described Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony as “a Grecian maiden”, but in 2001, when Claudio Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker tacked it as part of their landmark Rome Beethoven cycle, there was nothing demure about the results. After more than a decade together, Abbado and his great orchestra moved and thought as one, and this is a performance that glows with athleticism and insight. They paired the Fourth Symphony with Beethoven’s shortest symphony, the Eighth, and it’s a delightful combination – two masterpieces of concentrated energy and life-affirming humour, and proof positive that great music-making does not have to be weighty to be profound.

Ensemble: 

Berliner Philharmoniker

Conductor: 

Claudio Abbado