Composer: Franz Schubert
Orchestra: Orchestra Mozart
Conductor: Claudio Abbado
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4794652
Release: 2015
Size: 1.05 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944 “The Great
01. I. Andante – Allegro ma non troppo
02. II. Andante con moto
03. III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
04. IV. Finale. Allegro vivace
Announcing a rare new album conducted by Maestro Abbado – still much missed by many in the concert hall and the studio. Schubert remained one of Abbado’s favourite composers throughout his life and since his first performance in Den Haag in 1966 he returned again and again to the “Great“ C Major Symphony.
This very special album combines live performances with Abbado’s beloved Orchestra Mozart, recorded in September 2011. Twenty-five years after his first recording with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Abbado’s new interpretation of this symphony reveals a wealth of new details, making it his definitive take on the work.
This 2015 Deutsche Grammophon release of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, “The Great,” is actually the product of four concert performances from September 2011, two at the Bologna Auditorium Manzoni and two at the Bolzano Auditorium, so it is a live recording that has been skillfully edited. Bearing in mind Claudio Abbado’s strong working relationship with Orchestra Mozart, this is likely the interpretation he had in mind, barring any mishaps in the performances that have been omitted. That said, it is a fairly safe and uncontroversial reading that doesn’t differ much from most mainstream recordings, and the playing — such as we hear — is secure and polished, if not especially inspired or deeply felt. Because this is one of the last documents of Abbado’s conducting career and a record of his rapport with an orchestra he founded, there is much to value from a historical perspective. However, because there are no sparks of electricity or special expressive moments, this recording of “The Great” will interest most of Abbado’s fans but fewer Schubertians.