The first flush of the digital era brought about a boatload of unexpected recordings, including this set of
Hindemith's Kammermusik by
Claudio Abbado and the
Berliner Philharmoniker. Prior to
Abbado's, there had already been two superlative recordings in the digital era:
Riccardo Chailly and the
Concertgebouw Orchestra's propulsive and virtuosic 1990 Decca recording and
Markus Stenz and the
Ensemble Modern's angular and aggressive 1993 RCA recording. But
Abbado was a big fan of the composer, and he had the perfect orchestra for the job in the virtuosic
Berliner Philharmoniker; their performances are as well played as
Chailly's, but less driven and more musical than
Stenz's. With first-class soloists drawn mostly from the orchestra, plus
Lars Vogt as a spectacular pianist in Kammermusik No. 2, all parts are superbly covered. And as is almost always the case with
Abbado, the conducting is alert, alive, and energetic with complete commitment to the details, the long line, and the big climax. Coupled with violist
Tabea Zimmermann's dedicated and determined 1989 recording of
Hindemith's Der Schwandenreher with David Shelton leading the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, these vivid 1996 and 1999 recordings are a clear first choice for these odd but engaging works.