There are so many reasons why Claudio Abbado is so unique, and his genius is so precious to everyone who loves classical music.
This is one of those reasons: Abbado last week ended a "spellbinding" Mahler concert in Lucerne (YouTube link), Corriere della Sera reports, and he ended it with "Rückert-Lieder". Magdalena Kozená as the soloist:
The Moravian mezzo is flawless -- range, colors, phrasing. The volume isn't huge. She's slightly on the cold side, and Abbado treats her the way a gracious host does with an important guest, then in Ich bin der Welt
he takes her hand and it's a beautiful moment. For them, and for those in the audience who have ears to understand.
Abbado rightly worships Wilhelm Furtwaengler, but Opera Chic bets that, when history is written, Abbado's name will appear alongside Big Willy's -- and a couple others, maybe Von Bulow, and/or Karajan, and/or Carlito Kleiber -- as one of the greatest conductors classical music has ever seen, and people will argue over who is the greatest.
But it's hard to argue that Abbado isn't the warmest.