Roberto Abbado Opens as National Symphony Music Director with Lively Italian Program
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Roberto Abbado (72) made his debut as the 8th music director of the National Symphony Orchestra with a buoyant program of Italian ballet and opera at Seoul Arts Center. Despite the cold, audiences warmed to Respighi’s playful suite The Fountains of Rome (arranged from Rossini piano pieces) featuring lively dances like tarantella and waltz, followed by Verdi’s “The Sicilian Vespers” excerpt and Rossini’s William Tell Overture. Abbado said he chose bright, positive works rather than the usual Johann Strauss-style repertoire to greet the new year. Dressed in white tie, he conducted with expressive right-hand gestures and incisive left-hand cues that kept each section tightly focused. The appointment draws attention to the Abbado musical dynasty (small note: Abbado family — a renowned Italian musical family including Claudio Abbado), and Abbado expressed pride in continuing his family’s tradition while pledging to do his best. The three-year tenure will reveal what artistic color he brings to the orchestra.
