Not The CD Of The Week: Claudio Abbado's Croaking Swansong

Merry Fourth Day of Christmas to You!

…They are sapped of energy and zest and fall on the floor like a limp squid; it never sparks any fireworks – like a damp squib. In the Mendelssohn, it’s perhaps less surprising. Firstly: For Felix to roll out his inspired, ingenious youth’s Concert Overture to feature length resulted perhaps in too much of a good thing. Secondly: I’ve always found Abbado’s recordings of Mendelssohn, however much praised by others, on the boring side (contrast those with Dohnanyi and the Vienna Philharmonic, for example)… but even then, not as boring as this. …

-> Not The CD Of The Week: Claudio Abbado's Croaking Swansong

Felix Mendelssohn-B., Hector Berlioz, Claudio Abbado, "The Last Concert", Midsummer Night’s Dream + Symphonique fantastique, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic, CD + Blu-rays