Abbado / Bpo Silvester Concert 1998

Though their party may not be as famous as the Strauss family New Year's Day bash down in Vienna, the Berlin Philharmonic has its own annual cork-popper, a starry gala held on New Year's Eve. The 1998 menu consisted of Mozart and Verdi main courses with a Bizet appetizer and a Tchaikovsky side dish. The featured performers were sopranos Mirella Freni and Christine Schafer, tenor Marcelo Alvarez and baritone Simon Keenlyside, all under the direction of Claudio Abbado.
In the Mozart section Keenlyside distinguishes himself in three numbers from 'Don Giovanni,' including "La ci darem la mano" and the "champagne" aria, then returns after intermission for "Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima" from Verdi's 'Un ballo in maschera.' Mirella Freni does the real star turn of the evening, singing the entire Letter Scene from Tchaikovsky's 'Eugen Onegin' before joining the ensemble for the drinking song "Libiamo ne lieti calici" from Verdi's 'La Traviata,' the perfect closing number for such an evening.