Thomas Søndergård, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's Music Director is working through Mahler's symphonies. Mahler's Ninth is the last the composer was to complete. It was the only work to be played in this concert. Whether it was written knowing it would be Mahler's last, although disputed because he continued to fulfil his busy conducting schedule for some time - or whether it was a remembrance of his daughter who died in 1907 doesn't matter. The Usher Hall was full for it is a firm favourite. An erudite few words of welcome and introduction from a player in the midst of the large orchestra, and then the conductor was on stage.
The first and last movements are long and slow whilst the second, bit-by-bit, disintegrates traditional folk dance music. The third Rondo-Burleske is so busy and at a such a pace that the players are over-surrounded by their colleagues output. So much so, we learned at the pre-concert talk that highly regarded Thomas Søndergård in rehearsal had the Orchestra play it at a dramatically reduced tempo to help unravel its complexity.
In the lively upper gallery foyer talk beforehand with Derrick Morgan and Timothy Orpen, we heard just how differently conductors can set the pace for the final winding-down movement. The view was that we would hear Thomas Søndergård take the middle road, and so it was. And he kept the final silence as long as he dare - without a cough to be heard from the audience. Principal viola Tom Dunn and guest principal horn Amadea Dalzeley-Gaist were particularly thanked during the enthusiastic applause.
Event: Friday 21st February 2025 at 7.30pm