Italy's mild maestro Claudio Abbado dies aged 80

ROME: Italian conductor Claudio Abbado, whose stellar career took him to La Scala in Milan, the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera and was widely loved for his humane, gentle manner, died on Monday at the age of 80.

Abbado, who had been ill for several years, was far from the stereotype of tyrannical maestros and made hundreds of recordings, spanning from Italy's lyrical repertoire to classical music of the 20th century.