Claudio Abbado conducts “Songs of Love and Desire” at the 1998 New Year’s Eve Concert

The singers impressed not only through vocal splendour, but also by their dramatic versatility. Christine Schäfer perfectly conveyed the subtle differences between the genuine desire of Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, the feigned love of Susanna in Mozart’s Figaro and the timid, doubting affection of Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Male passion, in turn, was shown in this concert from its more dubious side, with Simon Keenlyside portraying a Don Giovanni who constantly changes between charm and lasciviousness. On the other hand, Marcelo Álvarez as the Duke in Rigoletto pursued his conquests with a gentle, but no less insidious seductiveness.

And finally, the appearance of Mirella Freni, whose connection with the Berliner Philharmoniker goes back to 1972, when she collaborated with Herbert von Karajan on the legendary recording of La Bohème. With great vividness and musicality, she performed the letter scene from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin as a miniature drama in which doubt, determination and unconditional love struggle for supremacy.

Berliner Philharmoniker

Claudio Abbado

Christine Schäfer

Simon Keenlyside

Marcelo Álvarez

Mirella Freni