As the endlessly sad news of Claudio Abbado’s passing broke on Monday 20th January 2014, heartfelt tributes quickly poured in from around the world: “a great musician and a generous man” (Sir Simon Rattle); “will always be part of the exalted group of geniuses in the history of the arts” (Gustavo Dudamel); “one of the wonders of the world” (Daniel Harding); “[Abbado’s concerts] weren’t mere performances of pieces of music, they were transformative existential journeys” (The Guardian).

'Sony Classical' is making available immediately the Claudio Abbado Gold Edition: three individual, budget-priced 5 CD box sets of Maestro Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic with pieces by Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Strauss, Schumann and Mussorgsky.

Artists

Martha Argerich (piano), Renee Fleming (Marschallin), Frederica von Stade (Octavian), Katleen Battle (Sophie), Andreas Schmidt (Faninal), Hansjörg Schellenberger (oboe), Rainert Kußmaul (violin), Wolfram Christ (viola), Jane Eaglen (soprano), Waltraud Meier (mezzo), Ben Heppner (tenor), Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone), Ingrid Ade-Jesemann (soprano), Monika Bair-Ivenz (soprano), Susanne Otto (alto), Peter Hall (tenor), Ulrike Krumbiegel, Mathias Schadock (speakers), Michael Hasel (bass flute), Manfred Preis (bass clarinet), Christhard Gössling (euphonium/tuba)

Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Stockholm, E. Ericson-Kammerchor, Claudio Abbado