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AA4 TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 os Angeles (Times LATIMES.COM CLAUDIO ABBADO, 1933 2014 Electrifying Italian conductor By Chris Pasles conventional versions of older works. Mussorgsky's original version of "Boris Godu-nov" was his last production there. Always interested in encouraging young musicians, in 1978 he founded the European Community Youth Orchestra. It excluded players from Eastern Europe, however, because their countries did not belong to the European Union, so in 1986 he formed the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra for musicians from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and East Germany. More recently, Abbado worked with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, the flagship of that country's extensive music education system, and mentored its conductor, Gustavo Duda-mel, now the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In 1979, Abbado was named music director of the London Philharmonic, and he later became its principal conductor. He made many recordings with the orchestra until he left in 1988 to concentrate his activities in Vienna. He was appointed music director of the Vienna State Opera in 1986 and stayed until 1991, when he resigned for health reasons. Among his new productions was a critically acclaimed version of Berg's "Wozzeck" that was recorded live and issued by Deutsche Grammophon. Ups and downs In 1989, Abbado was elected chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic by the orchestra's musicians, succeeding Karajan.

He was the first Italian-born music director of that orchestra and only the fifth director in its history. News of his appointment caused disappointment and anger in New York because Abbado reportedly had agreed to succeed Mehta at the New York Philharmonic when the latter stepped down in 1991. Abbado said that the discussions had never gone further than a few polite conversations. Over the years, Abbado had his ups and downs with the Berlin Philharmonic, where he introduced more 2 0th century music than had his predecessors. In 1998, German critics and musicians complained about his choice of repertory and his rehearsal techniques.

Some saw the criticism as a reaction to Abbado's announcement earlier that year that he would not extend his contract when it expired in 2002. The tradition had been for Philharmonic music directors to remain in the post until their deaths. Abbado said he had no complaints; he merely wanted more time for himself, "to read more, go skiing and sailing." Other musicians rallied to his defense, and after his cancer surgery in 2 000, the complaints died down and the relationship between conductor and players was said to have improved markedly. Still, he was forced to cancel most of his engagements in the latter half of the year. When his contract expired at the end of the 2001-02 season, he was succeeded by Simon Rattle.

His discography lists well over 100 recordings, mostly for Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics and Sony Classics. Abbado's numerous awards included the International Ernst von Siemens music prize, one of the most prestigious awards in classical music, which he received in 1994. His survivors include his second wife and four children. Claudio Abbado, an Italian conductor whose wide-ranging mastery of symphonic and operatic repertory and attention to detail drew comparisons to more famous maestros Carlo Mario Giulini, Arturo Tosca-nini and Herbert von Karajan, has died. He was 80.

A former music director of La Scala in Milan, the London Philharmonic, the Vienna State Opera and the Berlin Philharmonic, Abbado died Monday at his home in Bologna, the mayor's office announced. The cause was not given, but Abbado underwent surgery for stomach cancer in 2000. One of his last notable concerts was leading Mahler's Third Symphony at PA hours, the longest in the standard repertory with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2007. "Everything he did in this extraordinary performance was directed at sustaining an ensemble in which everyone listens intently to what all their colleagues are doing and responds instinctively," reviewer Andrew Clements wrote of the concert in England's Guardian newspaper. "The result was totally coherent and miraculously No one who heard this performance is likely to forget it; Abbado's Mahler, like Furtwan-gler's Wagner and Klemperer's Beethoven in previous generations, is just peerless." Abbado last appeared in the Southland in 2001, when he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in two concerts primarily of Beethoven symphonies at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

"Abbado has given the players a sense of freedom and individuality, without lessening the phenomenal ensemble playing that is Berlin's hallmark," wrote Times music critic Mark Swed. Leaving nothing to chance Abbado achieved that combination through a lifelong devotion to meticulous preparation in rehearsal to achieve intense spontaneity in performance. "I kept wondering when the blinding light of inspiration was about to hit us," a former concertmaster with the London Symphony said in 1987, speaking about Abbado's rehearsals. "It never did. He has a highly analytical, careful approach, leaving nothing to chance.

But in concert, the man seems to throw his reserve aside and go 150 all out for the music. It is electrifying. He can conserve everything until that moment. It is as though after the cerebral approach to making music in rehearsal, he allows himself the luxury of turning the emotional tap on." Abbado was born June 26, 1933, into a musical Milanese family. His father was a professional violinist.

His mother was a pianist. His brotherwas a pianist and composer who eventually became director of the Milan Conservatory. His sister studied violin. A visit to La Scala when he was 8 determined his future goal. "One day," he wrote in his diary after the performance, "I will conduct." But first he threw himself into study of the piano and soon was accompanying his father in piano-violin duets.

For a while, he was torn between piano, which he studied at the Milan Conservatory until 1955, and conducting, which he studied under Hans Swa-rowsky at the Vienna Academy of Music after graduating from the conservatory. Con- RlCCARDO MUSACCHIO European Pressphoto Agency METICULOUS Claudio Abbado rehearses with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2001. He relied on preparation in rehearsal to achieve intense spontaneity in performance. An appreciation Claudio Abbado's greatness extended beyond his career as conductor of some of the great orchestras, calendar, eluded a $5,000 award and a yearlong assistant conductor post at the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. Of the three, Abbado was the only one to go on to a maj or international career.

Still feeling insufficiently prepared, however, when the year was up Abbado returned to Europe for further study. Abbado's specialty initially was 20th century music, but he quickly broadened his repertory to include Classical and Romantic music and opera. He usually conducted from memory. He said he had learned from observing Toscanini the importance of eye contact with musicians. But he found Tosca-nini's dictatorial attitude toward musicians offensive and always treated his players with quiet respect.

His career took off after Karajan invited him in 1964 to lead the Vienna Philharmonic in Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony at the Salzburg Festival. Abbado served as music director at La Scala from 1968 to 1986 (he had made his house debut in 1960), premiering contemporary works by Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono, Kryzsztof Penderecki and Karl-heinz Stockhausen as well as choosing un ducting won out. A classmate and friend in Vienna was Zu-bin Mehta, future music director of the Los Angeles and New York philharmonics. To study the work of conductors in rehearsals, which were closed to students and the public, the two auditioned for the Musikverein Chorus. Once accepted in the bass section of the chorus, they scrutinized conductors such as Karajan and Bruno Walter.

After graduating, the two went to the Tanglewood Festival near Boston, where Abbado beat out Mehta to win the Serge Koussevitsky Prize for conducting in 1958. The award came with an offer to take over an American orchestra, but Abbado turned it down to return to Europe for further studies. In 1963, he shared the prestigious Dimitri Mitropoulos prize for conducting with Zde-nek Rosier and Pedro Calderon. The prize in- news.obitslatimes.com Pasles is a former Times staff writer. Divisive procession approaches Parade, from AA1 other direction, county supervisors set aside a day to honor slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

But in Little Saigon, change has been slow to arrive. "On some streets in Santa Monica or San Francisco there may be more openness," says Thanh Le, gesturing toward Bolsa Avenue outside the bakery. "Not on this street. "In honesty, welcoming everyone is OK, but we also have to keep our tradition," says Le, a singer from Westminster. Others said the decision to let the gay activists march is overdue and a clear sign that attitudes here are finally shifting.

"It had to happen the issue of gay rights has gone too far, too big for even Little Saigon to ignore," says Henry Lai, a tax analyst from Texas visiting family in Southern California. "Look what 2013 brought all the states where gay marriage can take place, all the newspaper stories. We must move forward rather than go backward." Hoa Truong, a secretary from Santa Ana who popped in to buy a birthday cake, was quickly caught up in the conversation. "I feel the people who call themselves community leaders could not carry on. Keeping one group out of a Lunar New Year activity has led to so much coverage," Truong said.

"Even the media in Washington and France has focused on it." The parade's code of con- duct, however, could prevent members of Viet Rainbow of Orange County from carrying the gay pride banner or wearing clothingthat identifies them as being associated with the activist organization. Only the U. S. and the South Vietnamese flags are permitted to be carried by participants. "But the rainbow flag helps to define who we are," said Hieu Nguyen, founder of Viet Rainbow of Orange County, the group that fought and won the right to march.

"We are proud to identify with it." Last year, the group was barred from marching but protested by standing on the sidewalk along the parade route, waving signs and the rainbow flag. Several politicians made a point of step- ping away from the parade andjoiningthem. This year was heading toward a repeat after organizers again told the group it wasn't welcome. But political pressure and the specter of losing sponsors helped turn the tide, and community members voted to let Viet Rainbow participate. "We don't know who will support us more or less after the vote, but this is a chance to share our culture and to welcome everyone," said Nghia X.

Nguyen, the organizer of the parade, which is staged by the Vietnamese American Federation of Southern California. He said that the code of conduct which also bars makeup, nontraditional costumes and "gestures" is not aimed at the gay rights Cheryl A. Guerrero Los Angeles Times VU LAM has some reservations about LGBT participation in the upcoming Lunar New Year parade. Two men are shot to death in Koreatown But it's a small, significant step." Vu Lam, chatting with his buddies at the bakery, said he had reservations. "Two guys hand in hand, walking past the elderly Vietnamese, I personally don't favor that and they may not be able to accept that," said Lam, a board member with Viet Love Foundation, a nonprofit that stages fund-raising concerts to help displaced people around the world.

Hoa Truong, the Santa Ana secretary, said she would have no problem if LGBT marchers were to embrace or even kiss as they march. "I will yell the loudest for the youths," she said. "They need to immerse themselves to really understand howthe community works so they might carry on the culture and show compassion." group. "They think that this code is targeting them, but that's not true," Nghia X. Nguyen said.

"We don't want any misunderstanding that there is discrimination. There is no discrimination." Hieu Nguyen said the group has asked whether it can carry the flag but has not received an answer. Regardless of the outcome, he said, the group will march. "Apart from the rainbow flags, we want to wear our T-shirts," he said. "We want to show clearly that we represent not just Viet Rainbow but also parents of Viet Rainbow children and Viet youths who are LGBTs." Lai, the visitor from Texas, said he takes satisfaction that the two sides have even come this far.

"OK, so it took this long," he said, unwrapping a banh mi. "We're still behind the mainstream when it comes to freedom of expression. By Joseph Serna homicides made it the 31st-deadliest area in the county that year, according to a Times analysis of coroner's data collected for the Homicide Report. Violent crimes in Korea-town have seen an increase, including two robberies in recent weeks within blocks of Monday's shooting, according to LAPD crime data collected for Crime L.A. die Avenue and West 3rd Street, authorities said.

The two male killers ran away. Police cordoned off a wide area around the crime scene as they searched for the killers and questioned witnesses. It was unclear if the shooting was gang-related, LAPD Capt. Tina Nieto said. "It's very tragic this happened on a day we're celebrating a man of peace," Nieto said, referring to the Rev.

Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. No further details were released and the investigation was ongoing. In 2013, three people were homicide victims in Korea-town, a densely populated neighborhood of about 105,000 residents, down from eight homicides in 2012. The area had two homicides in 2011 and 2012, and four in 2010.

In contrast, in 2007 the neighborhood's 13 Two men were pronounced dead at a hospital Monday after being shot by two assailants in Korea-town, Los Angeles police said. Police described the victims as Latinos in their 20s. The 1:53 p.m. shooting occurred in the driveway of a parking lot at Lucy's Laundry Mart at South Norman- anh.dolatimes.com joseph.sernalatimes.com.