Right from the slow introduction's mysterious opening bars, this is a compelling account of the C major Second Symphony, imbued with Abbado's characteristic attention to detail, and the sharply pointed rhythms he obtains from his augmented Orchestra Mozart.

The combination of the hall's acoustics and the Orchestra Mozart's burnished timbre ensures that the sound quality is of a supreme order, but allied to that is the living perspective that Abbado brings to the music...He achieves impeccable clarity of texture, unanimity of attack and precision of articulation.

Abbado’s evident love for this symphony is delightfully infectious. Textures are really clear, and while the string section is larger than this orchestra usually wields, it still sounds and feels very much like a chamber ensemble, with all the transparency that such a group brings. The woodwind are remarkably light and airy.

As far as one can tell, they are not using period instruments, but the timbres are transparent and Abbado's scrupulous attention to detail bears fruit...He emphasises Schumann's lyricism at the expense of his weightier moments

Abbado’s metrical freedoms won’t please all, but this exhilarating and passionate music-making certainly doesn’t sound like a conductor’s swansong.