BEETHOVEN arr MAHLER SYMPHONY NO 9 CHORAL Järvi, LPO London 2009

BEETHOVEN, arr. MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 9 “CHORAL Lisa Milne, Peter Auty, Karen Carghill, Peter Rose, Neeme Järvi/London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus Royal Festival Hall, 4 February 2009 00:00 I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso 15:41 II Scherzo: Molto vivace – Presto 27:03 III Adagio molto e cantabile 39:34 IV Presto The quirky and unforgiving acoustic of the Royal Festival Hall detracts somewhat from Neeme Järvi’s championing of Mahler’s orchestration, which was meant to enhance the work’s impact and underline its iconic status in music history. He emphasizes the Mahlerian textures, so we can absorb the wider range of colour, and the deeper sonorities are impressive – Mahler adds a tuba, for example, so the contrast between light and darkness that runs through the symphony is delivered with greater focus. It was conceived on a grand scale, and Mahler faithfully extends the concept of music as spectacle. The dynamic range is thrilling; accordingly, the audience’s reception was enthusiastic.