Claudio Abbado is cleared by an Italian court

Claudio Abbado is cleared by an Italian court

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norman lebrecht

July 29, 2020

Accused of tax fraud by a political enemy in Milano, Claudio Abbado was charged by prosecutors in 1976 with concealing part of his earnings.

The case bounced from one court to another for the next 44 years.

Abbado died in January 2014.

This week, he was finally cleared of the main charge.

Now the lawyers on both sides can spend the rest of their lives pleading for costs.

Report in Corriere.

 

Comments

  • Paul Dawson says:

    Phew! That’s a relief. I’ve just bought a 60CD set of his DG opera recordings. No need now for any guilt trip when I listen to them.

    • The only thing we can complain about Abbado during his years at la Scala is that he was not very fond about Puccini.

    • I feel guilty about having his recordings, given that he was a communist. Great musician, however, and I am all for avoiding taxation, which is theft.

      • I’am not sure at all that Stalin was his idole… He was less at the left than Pollini for sure. And the fact to give concerts in factories doesn’t mean that you are a fan of Lenine. And in the 70’s Italy had a Communist Party with Berlinguer who was not like in France for exemple, less faithfull to Moscow

        • Jobim75 says:

          Luzerne was a real nest of communist probably…..I remember using some savings to go to concerts in 90s with WPO as a student…..The best of the 2 worlds, millions
          in bank account and generous ideas, how convenient. La bonne conscience n’a pas de prix.

    • Bone says:

      Never was a need for guilt: if the music sounds good to you, enjoy.

    • Alexander Hall says:

      Knowing what lawyers are capable of (read Charles Dickens in Bleak House), they will still be arguing about costs and the interest accrued one hundred years from now.

      • Bruce says:

        I was just going to mention Bleak House…

        (for those of you: a sub-theme of the novel is that teams of lawyers argue about an estate for years on end. The case comes to a conclusion only when the entire value of the estate is eaten up by lawyer’s fees.)

  • annon says:

    “Now the lawyers on both sides can spend the rest of their lives pleading for costs.”

    Has Abbado ever given up his fees for no good reason? So why should his lawyers work for free?

  • Charles Clark-Maxwell says:

    OK, so what’s Abbado saying with outstretched finger to Danny Boy in the photo above ?

  • Because of that I’ve never heard anything from Abbado during 44 years ahahahahaha I thought that he was guilty with his assistant in the 70’s, Chailly. Do you think that this guy was talented? haahahhaa

  • Jerome Hoberman says:

    Anyone say, “Bleak House?”

  • David Leibowitz says:

    How do you say “Jarndyce v. Jarndyce” in Italian?

  • microview says:

    caption for your pic: “You know, Danny, I hid the dosh under Viktoria’s mattress”

  • Karl says:

    Reminds me of the old joke – what’s the difference between a prostitute and a lawyer?

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