ABBADO 2008 is a celebration of the 75th birthday (June) of Claudio Abbado, "the most respected living conductor" (The New York Times). Foremost among the five releases planned to mark the occasion are two new Mozart recordings: the Violin Concertos with Giuilano Carmignola; and five popular Symphonies, including the "Haffner," "Prague" and "Jupiter." Both new sets feature the Orchestra Mozart, a handpicked group of players founded in Bologna in 2004, with Abbado as their artistic director and Carmignola as concertmaster. Abbado has prepared the orchestra by touring throughout Italy--gathering acclaim for their performances, not only of Mozart, but also Bach (Brandenburg Concertos) and other composers. These splendid new versions of Mozart symphonies can be considered Abbado"s "home recordings"--made "live in concert" in Bologna, Bolzano, Modena and Ferrara between 2004 and 2006--giving them an extraordinary, raw energy, with all the drama and lyricism that have made his recordings of Mozart operas among the greatest in the catalogue. Particularly noteworthy are Symphonies Nos. 33 and 38 ("Prague"), which Abbado here records for the first time.