RSNO - Mahler's Symphony No 2 - Usher Hall

[Anastasius]

This has to be the most dire performance of the Resurrection that I have had the misfortune to tune into. It was so turgid and lifeless that I had to abandon it during the first movement. It's a wonderful piece of music which I have heard live on many occasions and have a number of different performances on CD. The RSNO did it no favours.

[cloughie]

This has to be the most dire performance of the Resurrection that I have had the misfortune to tune into. It was so turgid and lifeless that I had to abandon it during the first movement. It's a wonderful piece of music which I have heard live on many occasions and have a number of different performances on CD. The RSNO did it no favours.

Who was conducting?

[Bryn]

Who was conducting?

Peter Oundjian.

[Anastasius]

Who was conducting?

I was going to be flippant and say 'Nobody' !

[pastoralguy]

The RSNO did it no favours.

I think it's really unfair to blame the orchestra. As an RSNO subscriber for many years, I've heard them give tremendous Mahler performances, not least under Neemi Jarvi whose work with the orchestra can be sampled on cd. The late Sir Alex Gibson was a tremendous advocate for Mahler in the days when Mahler's star wasn't as bright as it is now.

IF there is any blame to be given then it should be laid at the conductors door.

[gedsmk]

I think it's really unfair to blame the orchestra. As an RSNO subscriber for many years, I've heard them give tremendous Mahler performances, not least under Neemi Jarvi whose work with the orchestra can be sampled on cd. The late Sir Alex Gibson was a tremendous advocate for Mahler in the days when Mahler's star wasn't as bright as it is now.

IF there is any blame to be given then it should be laid at the conductors door.

Agreed about the first movement. Ragged ensemble, some dreadful tuning towards the end, tempi a tad under ideal all through sucked the energy out of the piece. Am enjoying the second movement now though and will hope for better still as it goes on.

[Once Was 4]

I think it's really unfair to blame the orchestra. As an RSNO subscriber for many years, I've heard them give tremendous Mahler performances, not least under Neemi Jarvi whose work with the orchestra can be sampled on cd. The late Sir Alex Gibson was a tremendous advocate for Mahler in the days when Mahler's star wasn't as bright as it is now.

IF there is any blame to be given then it should be laid at the conductors door.

I played 6th horn in some performances of Mahler's 'Resurrection Symphony' in, I think, 1976 with the SNO (not 'Royal' then) and Mr (not 'Sir' then!) Gibson conducting. I remember a tremendous atmosphere to those performances. One was in the Edinburgh Usher Hall but the one the previous night was in the Glasgow Kelvin Hall which was used for really 'big' pieces as the City Hall was not big enough. The conductor at the Kelvin Hall used a room marked 'ringmaster' - apt!

Is it my imagination or was there more than poor ensemble last night - did the orchestra get totally out at one point? If so they are in good company; the Berlin Philharmonic got adrift in Sibelius 7 at the Barbican - it can happen to any orchestra for a host of reasons. But often a stick is involved.