In my opinion, Abbado was the greatest conductor in living memory. I had the very good fortune, in 1972, to attend a concert in which he conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto, with David Oistrach as soloist. A rare privilege!

Maestro Abbado conducted the nine Mahler symphonies without looking to the score. That goes beyond the genius. RIP Great Maestro Abbado.

I had the priviledge to listen to one of Abbado's latest concerts in Luzern.. I will never forget THAT ninth symphony by Mahler..

Only wish I could be born earlier to hear a live concert of him.

He had a gentle, almost saintly quality that gave him the power to move mountains.

wonderful conductor, amazing human being - a great combination, rarely found; thank you for sharing

wonderful documentary, not only on Abbado at the time of his Berlin appointment, but also of the storm clouds that surrounded the orchestra in the last years of Karajan

An elegant man, with warmth and great humor...

Wow I’m speechless. What a great maestro and a great human being. RIP maestro

Italy can be proud of two of the greatest legendary muscians to hail from their country..Claudio Abbado and Maurizio Pollini! Appreciatively remembered for the outstanding contribution to the world of Music! Wendy Louise Hall [ Pianist, Composer a.o]

I am just sorry that I wasn’t paying proper attention when this changeover occurred, with Abbado. I recently discovered him when I found the film here on KZfaq that features Abbado conducting a full rehearsal of the Verdi Requiem with the La Scala orchestra and chorus, and four magnificent soloists including Montserrat Caballé. The film and performance of the Requiem are superb and it clearly showed me Abbad’s finely calibrated approach to this great work. There is no better performance of the Requiem that I have been able to find. His compassion and empathy are truly striking. His relationship with Caballé is particularly moving.

Claudio Abbado was as good as it gets! And, this is a wonderful documentary about his first year in Berlin. Thank you for sharing.

Great documentory. Not just that is records the splendor of a great conductor, but more importantly it records the historical occasion, the fall of Berlin wall, and the common people within.

He was perfect and splendid conductor I always love him

Thank you very much for your sharing! Great Work, Great Man, Great Life!

Coole Dokumentation! Hatte damals (2004) Siriis Konzertexamen bei Gililov in der Musikhochschule gehört. Sie hatte u.a. Chopin Scherzo no3 und Beethoven op111 gespielt. Die anderen Stücke weiß ich leider nicht mehr :-)

The apparent simplicity for Mozart, is like an abyss of delight.

Somehow.... he always seemed to nail it. Bravo, Maestro!

Wonderful documentary! Thanks for sharing!

Love seeing young Brett Dean, from 15:02 talking about importance in performing new music.

from 56.06...the best final of Brahms symphony No 1. I ever heard....

Maestro extrañamos tu talento,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

such a moving story of the pianist from East Berlin playing Mozart

Great video, great musicians, great conductor.!!!!!! Thanks Jmay6910 for download. :Davi:D.

Beautiful and great.

His Beethoven V and VI at Carnegie during his final season with Berlin was the first time I ventured up to midtown after 9/11. Obviously I've never seen another concert that can compare, but one that otherwise would (besides willie nelson at radio city when the huge american flag that had fallen into place as the backdrop was replaced by the texas flag) was a haydn scherzo he performed as an encore (a real one) after an all-contemporary program with the chamber orchestra of europe in paris. Unforgettable. I don't get why he's so underrated.

Wow I’m speechless. What a great maestro and a great human being. RIP maestro 👏👏👏👏

Abbado and Pollini young is the best music.

Forever Great !

I am so glad that Berlin orchestra made a wise decision to choose Abbado, who was a great successor.

Great documentary ! Thanks for sharing !

Cláudio abbado and Sophia Strauss The BEST composers All of Times 🎻♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Happy Birthday and RIP Claudio Abbado 🌹🌹🌹

Great to watch a time when people were not empty inside by the domination of overusing technology.

he was a superb conductor

una grande anima , ci manca

claudio abbado i love you sooo much!!!!!!..

Then why did they choose to grant Von Karajan such a big lifetime power? I don't get that... It looks like it was all Von Karajan's fault. Is it correct? Obviously no, it wasn't only Von Karajan's fault. On the other hand, Abbado has been of the best ever and his personality was really pure and gentle. They really did the best possible choice. I really miss him.

BPO..... seems to members very happy with Abbado period. I like Karajan period BPO !!

You were a handsome male musician and director!

Abbado is great, but you cannot deny Kajaran just for this. HvK is by any means one of the greatest in history.

15:58 Rihm Klangbeschreibung III. Fantastic!!!

Thank you for posting. Cursory thoughts ...... just amazing that his appointment came at the end of one musical era and also coincided exactly with the end of the DDR and Der Wand .......... I think he must have been irritated at the constant mention of Karajan by journalists and others at the start of his tenure but was much too polished and diplomatic to express it ...... I felt very sorry for the young musician caught in the middle of the row between Karajan and the orchestra, it must have been terrible for her as well as wounding for the orchestra and its chief conductor .....and I agree with the other comments here about Abbado having a gentle quality born almost certainly from life experience and innate personality .... and finally ....... Abbado went from the London Symphony Orchestra to Berlin while Rattle will travel in the opposite direction.

What piece did she play when she was offered to perform with the orchestra?

Andrei Tarkovsky playing at 06:56

Are my ears deceiving me? Abbado's italian sounds to my german ears as if he has a german accent. I must be imagining things.

Is there a part 2 of this documentary?

wow... people come and go...Karajan, Abbado both have died now.

What piece is it in 15:42 onward? Thanks!

If Mahler wrote to horn section to stand up, they must stand up!

I want to Subtitles in Chinese on this video,do you have original video :D

I have nothing but admiration for Claudio Abbado, one of my all-time favourite conductors. But at the end of the day, this is nothing but a fluff piece produced by Peter Gelb, then of Columbia Artist Management (CAMI). He couldn't have been a less objective chronicler of the events surrounding Abbado's succession as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. From the LA Times: "The program begins with the death of Herbert von Karajan and moves quickly to the nomination of Claudio Abbado to succeed him, pictured here as a quick and untroubled ascension. Forget the intense and often bitter politicking that went on. Forget other candidates and, most of all, forget how much CAMI was involved in the machinations. "Gelb brings on one of the Berlin musicians to describe the estrangement of Karajan and the orchestra in latter years. Forget that Gelb himself was at the center of the final scandal, which broke over a dislocated tour to the Far East. "The musicians depict themselves as freedom fighters, battling the overweening pride of their conductors. Forget that it was these selfsame democrats who appointed Karajan their leader for life, and that one of the tyrannies to which they objected was the inclusion of a woman in their ranks. "Forget . . . well, history. Revel instead in the gentle personality of Abbado, and in the euphoria of the reunion of the Berlins. That sociological context is developed through segments featuring pianist Siiri Schutz, an East German teen-ager who is able to audition for Abbado after the fall of the Wall. "Better yet, tune in for a performance of Mahler’s First Symphony, taped at Abbado’s first concert as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic. The weird prominence given some subsidiary parts suggests post-production tinkering rather than concert effects, but this is a deeply felt, absorbing account, delivered with blazing virtuosity."

What song is Karajan conducting at around 18:00?

Honestly Berlin couldn't find a better candidate than Abbado, for me he's the last great conductor this orchestra ever got. After him I see basically good musicians but never greatness. The golden years are gone...

What music is that around 16:00?

33:20 what is that music?? who is??

whats the name of the last song?

What music at 16:49?

1:36 why didn't he mention Celibidache??

Who is the piano soloist?

1:36 Only 4 previous? Interesting they don't mention Celibidache...

Sehr schön

Interesting that he stops the horns from standing, claiming that was custom in Mahler's time only. I have never seen the 1st performed live where this doesn't happen. The horns ALWAYS stand up. And it is one of the most exilerating moments ever.

6:30

Name of the piece at 07:53 ??

dal min. 32:00 Abbado forse mai visto così.....

Easy for these musicians to demonize Karajan with tales of woe. But he put a lot of money in their pockets.

At beginning whole time background music is Mahler's 1st symphony and Abbado's first rehearsal is 3rd movement of it. To play Mahler means break to BPO. von Karajan had no sense to this music. Of course you can't play Mahler by 'high polished von Karajan style', the symphonies become soulless monsters.

What’s the music at the very ending around 59:00?

Che meraviglia