Claudio Abbado - The RCA and Sony Album Collection

There's a lot of outstanding music here. While a good portion of this set is made up of live Berlin Philharmonic recordings, the more interesting ones in my opinion are the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra discs from earlier in Claudio Abbado's career. Along with this are two outstanding opera recordings of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" and Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov". Two particular highlights are the Rachmaninov second piano concerto and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Cecile Licad, and "Abbado conducts Mussorgsky", a collection of lesser-known Mussorgsky works with the London Symphony.This is a great deal for a lot of music. It is all good, and a few of the discs are absolutely outstanding. For the price, it's an incredible deal.

Claudio Abbado was one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century, and was music director/chief conductor of some of the world's best orchestras--including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This box set includes most of recordings made during his time with RCA, Columbia and Sony, and is a perfect compliment to his box sets on DG. A must-have for any serious collector of classical music, and especially those who are fans of this beloved Maestro...

It was purchased as a gift from the recipient’s wish list. I’m sure it is being enjoyed.

It's a good mix of rarities and warhorses.

Claudio Abbado: The Sony & RCA Album CollectionBach, J S:Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-6 BWV1046-1051 (complete)Beethoven:Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43: excerptsBerg:Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin with 13 Wind InstrumentsBrahms:Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102Schicksalslied, Op. 54Dvorak:The Noon Witch, Op. 108 (B196)Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88Liszt:Prometheus, symphonic poem No. 5, S99Mahler:KindertotenliederMendelssohn:A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op. 61Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 'Italian'Mozart:Serenade No. 9 in D major, K320 'Posthorn'Marches (2) in D major, K335Divertimento No. 11 in D major, K251Symphony No. 23 in D major, K181Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola & Orchestra in E flat major, K364Symphony No. 36 in C major, K425 'Linz'Symphony No. 28 in C major, K200Symphony No. 29 in A major, K201Symphony No. 35 in D major, K385 'Haffner'Symphony No. 31 in D, K297 'Paris'Masonic Funeral Music in C minor, K477Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K183Symphony in D major after the Posthorn Serenade, K320Mass in C minor, K427 'Great'Mussorgsky:A Night on the Bare MountainKhovanshchina: PreludeShaklovitiy's aria (from Khovanshchina)Golitsïn's Exile from KhovanshchinaSili potayniye, sili velikiye (from Khovanshchina)Khovanshchina: Dance of the Persian SlavesScherzo in B flat majorIntermezzo in modo classicoMlada: Festive MarchSongs and Dances of DeathKhovanshchina: Galitsin's Journey (Act4, scene 5)JoshuaSalammbo - Chorus of PriestessesScherzo in B flat majorThe Destruction of SennacheribA Night on the Bare Mountainoriginal versionOedipus in Athens - Chorus of People in the TempleKhovanshchina: Dawn on the Moscow RiverThe Capture of Kars - Triumphal MarchBoris GodunovNono:Prometeo: excerptsRachmaninov:Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30Reger:An die Hoffnung, Op. 124Riehm:Hölderlin-Fragmente for Voice and Orchestra (1977 version)Rossini:Semiramide OvertureLa scala di seta OvertureIl Turco in Italia OvertureElisabetta regina d'Inghilterra OvertureTancredi OvertureGuillaume Tell OvertureIl viaggio a ReimsSchumann:Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54Introduction & Allegro appassionato in G major, Op. 92Introduction and Allegro Op. 134Scenes from Goethe's Faust, WoO 3Scriabin:Prometheus (The Poem of Fire), Op. 60Shostakovich:Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99Strauss, R:Don Juan, Op. 20Burleske for Piano and orchestra in D minor, AV85Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28Marie Theres'! ... Hab mir's gelobt (from Der Rosenkavalier)Drei Hymnen Op. 71Tchaikovsky:Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter Daydreams'The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71aThe Tempest, Op. 18Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian'Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish'1812 Overture, Op. 49Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36Romeo & Juliet - Fantasy OvertureSymphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64The Voyevoda, symphonic ballad Op. 78Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique'Marche slave, Op. 31Suite No. 4 in G major, Op.61 'Mozartiana'Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35Verdi:Nabucco OvertureAida: PreludeLa forza del destino OvertureAroldo: SinfoniaLuisa Miller OvertureI vespri siciliani OvertureSimon Boccanegra

I wish to say that one item is missing: "Pavarotti premieres", an original LP with arias and preludes of Verdi operas, edited in 1984, available on CD now deleted.

Nice selection of CDs and worth the price. Giving 3 stars because the packaging is very flimsy for a Sony product- sleves look like they are printed on a laserprinter, plain matte paper, not the shiny hard cardboard found in other Sony sets.