Abbado conducts Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

“I embrace you, all you millions…” Claudio Abbado was an artist who combined deep intelligence with a profound humility; and from beginning to the end of his tenure of chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he regarded every performance as a chance to learn and explore. He believed that the Beethoven cycle that he performed in Berlin and Rome shortly after the millennium “marked a significant advance in terms of style, spirit, and technique”. But in this climactic performance of the Ninth symphony, given in Berlin with a starry quartet of soloists, the overwhelming impression – appropriately enough – is of joy.

Soloists: 

Karita Mattila (Soprano), Violeta Urmana (Mezzo-Soprano), Thomas Moser (Tenor), Eike Wilm Schulte (Baritone)

Ensembles: 

Berliner Philharmoniker, Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir

Conductors: 

Claudio Abbado, Tõnu Kaljuste