Claudio Abbado celebrates his 80th birthday today. One of the most acclaimed conductors of our age, Abbado's career has included music director roles at La Scala, the Vienna State Opera, London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. You can now observe his technique throughout an entire performance of Beethoven's Symphony No 5 recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic. 

Throughout the 40-minute performance, the camera is focussed on Abbado, giving the viewer a special insight into the maestro's conducting movements and style. The film is a feature from the new Blu-ray release of his Beethoven Symphony Cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic, issued by EuroArts Music in cooperation with RAI Trade and RAI – Radiovisione Italiana. (Copyright 2001 EuroArts Music International GmbH.) For more information about the DVD, visit Euroarts - or buy from Amazon.

Watch the film on the Gramophone Player.