HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The year is drawing to its close and with it all its assessments and promises. The Abbado-year 2003 was dominated by that incredible week in Lucerne, where the eruption of the new Lucerne Festival Orchestra had the effect of a clap of thunder in an otherwise serene sky and upset the international musical landscape. We reported in detail. Claudio Abbado’s activities have, roughly speaking, settled down between these two poles Lucerne and Ferrara (or to be more precise Emilia Romagna).
Our club has had the honour of being mentioned in the international press, in particular in connection with the wealth of information on its web-site. And this despite the fact that, as ever, we are not the favourites of certain Italian newspapers.
Let me remind you that we run the club whilst continuing our professional lifes – which have nothing to do with music. We have a head teacher, a doctor, a university professor, a school inspector, an underwriter and even a grand-father!
We are nearly at the end of a 2003 full of emotions and 2004 is taking shape with promises perhaps even richer: February/March in the Emilia Romagna (“Cosi fan tutte”); the Easter Tour of the GMJO (Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester) and the rendezvous with Mahler’s Ninth;
June brings with it the much expected reunion with the Berlin Philharmonic. Lucerne finally in August with a 2nd act “Tristan” and Mahler’s Fifth Symphonie.
The vast number of new members from throughout the world, the loyalty and availibility of its adherents, the whims of the board of directors – all this will force our omnipotent polyvalent marathon runner and nevertheless president Attilia to dash through Milan on a bike even faster to hand out tickets, reply to ten telephone calls every minute, pamper old members as well as new ones so that they feel spoilt and increase the already significant capacity of her computerlike brain.
We must extend our activities and our skills even more: the exposition concerning Claudio Abbado on tour, the “Musica sopra Berlino” book, translated by our Japanese friend and member Shiho Tsujino, now published in Japan, the various contributions of club members towards the site – all goes to show that creative will, imagination and a critical spirit are part and parcel of the typical member. So too is a certain taste for celebrations (at which we would love to see Claudio participating once again), late night suppers after the concert, friendliness and a good mood in general. - Our next step will be pages dedicated to the Luigi Nono Archives.
We would like to stimulate our members to acquaint themselves even more with the world of Claudio Abbado – for example by supporting either by your presence or by a contribution the orchestras he has founded. It is always possible to support the GMJO or the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, but these are subsidized to a large extent. Our thoughts turn rather to our dear friends of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. This orchestra is at the centre of Claudio Abbado’s current activity, it forms the core of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and it receives no grant whatsoever. We think it is necessary, not to say compulsory, to help this orchestra. You only need a minimum of 50,- Euro per annum to become a “Friend of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra”. I am absolutely certain that there are amongst you sufficient members willing to join the ranks of the “Friends of the MCO”: this is indeed a most useful way of showing your friendship and gratitude.
If you would prefer to give less (10,- to 40,- Euros) you are welcome to participate in the CAI-membership. The CAI is intent on joining as such and would like to stress thus the importance it accords to this formation. So please help the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in one way or another. In doing so you guarantee Claudio Abbado’s activity! So when you pay in your contribution to the CAI for 2004 please add at least a small sum for the MCO. Thanks to them, thank you for supporting this remarkable ensemble and our best wishes to Daniel Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
The year 2004 will also see the reopening of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. The ties between our Italian members and this theatre as well as its history are so close that we feel actively involved in the life of this house. Our best wishes to the Scala – with the secret hope that one of these days a certain conductor will return there...
Our best wishes too to the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle. We will be returning to Berlin in 2004 - and not only for Claudio!
Our best wishes to the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester – the most vivid of youth orchestras (because conducted by the most vivid conductor).
Our best wishes to our friends at the Lucerne Festival and to the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. We are looking forward to August 13th with increasing impatience.
And last but definitely not least all our best wishes of happiness, health and vitality to Claudio Abbado who is preparing a gorgeous year for us and who never stops astonishing us. “L’année sera abbadienne ou ne sera pas!” *
We wish a good and happy year 2004 to the Club Abbadiani Itineranti and all its members. I am thinking in particular at this moment of those members, dear to us, who have been struck down by a terrible illness and are on the way to recovery: happy New Year, Eraldo!
MILAN, DECEMBER 2003
* The year will be an Abbado-one or it will not be one.
