Mahler 3, Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Prom on August 22

[MDL]

I'm going. Any other GMGers going to be there?

[Rabin_Fan]

My ENT specialist flew there from Malaysia at the end of last week. He is a Mahler fan and should be there. The NY Times featured a great article on Abbado's Mahler 3 on the European continent recently.

[uffeviking]

Yesterday I started listening to the first disc of a great box set by Arte titled Lucerne Festival Orchestra The First 5 Years Claudio Abbado. On five discs it features Beethoven, Bruckner, Debussy and Mahler.

The surprise to me was the very first piece on the first year performance on 14 August 2003 of Debussy's Suite from Le Martyre de Saint Sébastian. What a way to start a festival! It is a wonderful experience to see soloists like Natalie Gutman and Sabine Meyerperforming as orchestra members, together with so many outstanding musicians from other symphonic orchestras, like Wolfram Christ and Georg Faust from the Berliners.

[bhodges]

I'm going. Any other GMGers going to be there?

Won't be hearing them in London, alas, but I will be hearing them do the Mahler 3 at Carnegie Hall in a few weeks.

--Bruce

[Renfield]

Am I the only one who thought this was awesome? Even over the radio, it sounded awesome.

(In other words, I enjoyed this one a very great lot; how about the rest of you, and especially those who attended the concert itself? )

[Bonehelm]

WOW...Abbado is still out and kicking? Thought he retired...

[MDL]

Am I the only one who thought this was awesome? Even over the radio, it sounded awesome.

(In other words, I enjoyed this one a very great lot; how about the rest of you, and especially those who attended the concert itself? )

It was wonderful, especially the finale. I was struck by how animated the players were. The only niggle for me was the largely inaudible tam-tam throughout the first movement. All the other percussion instruments were sparklingly clear and brilliantly controlled. A great performance that got a well-deserved standiing ovation.