Post Mahler

Hello Silsdeners, The concert was brilliant, wonderful, superb - and other adjectives! I wish you had been there and I thought of you. You would have loved the atmosphere in the sold out Philharmonie.

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 really is a beast to present/perform, and his much later symphonies are even bigger beasts! Some sections make 'heavy metal' sound like a lone cry in the dark :-) The long(ish) final 5th movement is something you can listen to on its own and marvel at.

The performance did not have a break. I think this was the right decision for one could take in the dimensions of the whole work. I was very impressed by the players in the orchestra and chorus. Very professional and the soprano and contralto voices were just right.

It was a new experience for Marcel. He really enjoyed it plus being in that famous conceert hall with its acoustic. I wanted to take photos of him with my mobile phone but he said, 'No!' because there were signs saying it was not allowed. Pity!

Listen/watch a performance near you if you get the chance. Here are some roses for all who played and sang last night!