In more recent years, every Claudio Abbado recording has been an event, something special – whether his Mahler symphonies with Berlin, or the Mozart, Bach and Pergolesi projects with “his” Orchestra Mozart. And, of course, as a sponsor and champion of new orchestras he is unrivalled – not least with his most recent creations, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart.

His Grand-Old-Man status assured Abbado remained a modest, unassuming but tenaciously demanding orchestral leader. Now, to celebrate the maestro’s reaching his 80th year, we have prepared an ambitious Symphony Edition as a birthday tribute:
• Complete recordings of eight great symphonists – Mozart (with Orchestra Mozart), Haydn, Beethoven (with Berliner Philharmoniker), Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler (with Berliner Phliharmoniker and Lucerne festival Orchestra)
• Featuring seven of the orchestras with whom Abbado is most closely associated (Orchestra Mozart, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Symphony, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra)
• Complete symphonic cycles of Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Mahler (see attachment for complete track list).
• All recordings have been personally selected by Claudio Abbado

Bonus:
Bruckner’s First Symphony – a special “addition”: at Abbado’s request, we have licensed a live recording of Bruckner’s First Symphony with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, being released here for the first time anywhere. 

Abbado had previously recorded the first version (the “Linz” version, 1866) of the Symphony with the Wiener Philharmoniker, but has since discovered and championed the later expanded “Vienna” version (carried out by Bruckner in 1890–91) – a not uncontroversial step!

Is this such a big deal?  Anyone who has heard performances of the symphony that Abbado has given with the orchestra on tour in recent months will know that this is an electrifying account, one that changes the way we should regard the work. It’s the first CD to go for in the Edition!

In sum, a superb addition to the Symphony Edition, and to Abbado’s discogaphy.

Packaging
• The attractive cube features four striking, dynamic portraits of Abbado from the 1970s to the present day.
• The 96-page four-language booklet has an interview with Abbado by journalist Julia Spinola (formerly of the Frankfürter Allgemeine) plus many photos

Limited edition

Contents:
MOZART (3 CDs)
CD 1: Symphonies nos. 35, 29, 33
CD 2: Symphonies nos. 38 & 41
CD 3: Symphonies nos. 39 & 40
Orchestra Mozart

HAYDN
7 London Symphonies, etc (3 CDs)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
CD 4: Overture Il mondo della luna, No.93 in D, No.96 in D, No.98 in B flat
CD 5: No.100 in G; No.101 in D; No.102 in B flat
CD 6: No.103 in E flat; Sinfonia Concertante in B flat No.105

BEETHOVEN (5 CDs)
Symphonies nos. 1 – 9
Karita Mattila / Violeta Urmana / Thomas Moser / Thomas Quasthoff
Berliner Philharmoniker

SCHUBERT (5 CDs)
8 Symphonies
Rosamunde Music D 797
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
CD 12: Symphonies nos. 1 – 3
CD 13: Symphonies nos. 4 & 8
CD 14: Symphonies nos. 5 & 6
CD 15: Symphony No.9
CD 16: Rosamunde Music

MENDELSSOHN (4 CDs)
CD 17–20
5 Symphonies
Overtures: Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Fair Melusine, The Hebrides, Ruy Blas, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Trumpet Overture
Elizabeth Connell / Karita Mattila / Hans Peter Blochwitz
London Symphony Orchestra

BRAHMS (5 CDs)
CD 21–25
4 Symphonies
Academic Festival Overture, Gesang der Parzen, Alto Rhapsody, Tragic Overture, Schicksalskied, Haydn Variations, Nänie
Marjana Lipovsek / Ernst Senff Choir / Rundfunk Chor Berlin
Berliner Philharmoniker
Serenade No.1 (Mahler Chamber Orchestra)
Serenade No.2 (Berliner Philharmoniker)

BRUCKNER (5 CDs)
CD 26–30
Symphonies nos. 1,* 4, 5, 7, 9
Wiener Phiharmoniker / Lucerne Festival Orchestra*

MAHLER
Symphonies nos. 1 – 9 (11 CDs)
CD 31: No.1
CD 32: No.2
Eteri Gvazava / Anna Larsson / Lucerne Festival Orchestra
CD 33–34: No.3
Anna Larsson, London Symphony Chorus, City of Birmingham Youth Chorus
CD 35: No.4
Renee Fleming
CD 36: No.5
CD 37: No.6
CD 38:No. 7
CD 39–40: No.8
Cheryl Studer / Sylvia McNair / Andrea Rost / Anne Sofie von Otter / Rosemarie Lang / Peter Seifert / Bryn Terfel / Jan-Hendrik Rootering
Rundfunkchor Berlin / Prager Philharmonischer Chor / Tölzer Knabenchor
CD 41: No.9
Berliner Philharmoniker