Mahler, in his First Symphony, shaped the “cry of nature” into a musical vision of an entire human life in four stages – from a spring-like upsurge of feelings, through desire and suffering, to the end of earthly existence and the entrance into Paradise.

Claudio Abbado is undeniably a supreme Mahler conductor and his best selling recordings with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra have set new standards in the interpretation of Mahler's works.

Listeners are also treated to a spectacular début, as the twenty-two-year-old Chinese pianist Yuja Wang plays Sergei Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto. She displays the full range of her artistry as this Piano Concerto demands not only lyricism and intimacy but also brilliance and virtuosity.

Claudio Abbado has realised a dream with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. The orchestra consists of an exclusive ensemble of hand-picked musicians like Kolja Blacher and Sebastian Breuninger, Natalia Gutman, Clemens Hagen and Jens Peter Maintz.

Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Convention Centre Lucerne, 12 August 2009.

Picture format DVD: NTSC  16:9
Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1
Region code: 0
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 79 mins
FSK: 0