Cast
Alessandra Abbado
Albrecht Mayer
Emmanuel Pahud
Kai Luehrs-Kaiser
Daniele Abbado
Andrea Zietzschmann
Antonello Manacorda
Franziska Drechsel
Jörg Widmann
Christine Schäfer
Christian Meuli
Program notes
A decade has passed since the classical music world lost one of its most iconic figures yet Claudio Abbado's legacy continues to grow. Produced to mark the tenth anniversary of his death in January 2014, Call Me Claudio seeks to honor the legendary Italian conductor.
Punctuated by over two dozen excerpts of incredible performances featuring the maestro at the helm of some of the world's greatest orchestras (the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic...), this brand-new documentary highlights Abbado's lasting impact not only on those he knew personally but also on the generations to come through the ensembles he created and those he inspired. A set of wide-ranging interviews allow us to learn about Abbado as a person through the eyes of those who knew him best: his family and the musicians he collaborated with and inspired over the course of his illustrious career, nearly all of whom underline his impressive ability to harness the skill and passion of individuals into a harmonious, collaborative ensemble. As cellist Gautier Capuçon describes, speaking of his experience as a young member of the Lucerne Orchestra, "We all came from different worlds and cultures and we were united by the shared goal of making music together—under the guidance of this towering musician."