I noted earlier that Claudio Abbado would have been 90 today. While I do enjoy some of his recordings, I haven’t always found most of his interpretations to be all that interesting. That is to say, they haven’t always connected with me, personally.
Undoubtedly, there will be those who feel differently. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve got some Abbado recordings that I do like, but I don’t know that I would describe any of them as desert island material, except perhaps for his recordings with Argerich.
Granted, there is probably no conductor who has been equally successful at everything, and every conductor has an off-day. Also, music is tied to performance, so it’s always different. One night an interpretation will sing, and the next it will sink.
I’m curious, are there any other big-name conductors who, more often than not, hit you the way I describe? I know I’ve got a few.
And in case you are offended by what is, after all, merely my opinion, remember: Abbado has been adored by millions, and I’m just some schmo on the internet.