Under Semyon Bychkov, their conductor since 2018, the mighty Czech Philharmonic showed us how Mahler's Seventh Symphony should be played. Mahler himself had directed the Orchestra himself at its first performance in Prague in 1908.
It is often considered to be Mahler's modern symphony. For me it is the Cow Bell Symphony - we just about heard the cow bells in the first of the two Night Musics but they, all four of them, were in full flow in the mighty Rondo-Finale.
In five parts and starting depressingly, we soon heard the tenor horns and off we were on an extraordinarily lively journey broken by the shortest of breaks after the opening Langsam (Adagio), and later with breaks after each section. Mahler had given every section of the Orchestra a chance to shine so much so that Conductor Bychkov seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself at the conclusion by burying himself amongst the players to ensure each group received their due applause.
Just as they players had come on stage together, once they felt they had received enough applause the signal was for them all to leave whether or not we wanted to continue clapping.
The lasting impression was of a highly efficient orchestra under a demanding but fair conductor - so much so that we would want to listen to their music making again.
Event: Sunday 21st August 2022 at 7pm