Mahler in Amsterdam, 16 May 2025

Day 8 in Amsterdam. Mahler 8 in the Concertgebouw. What can I say?

The host orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, was back on the stage - their stage - with their music director designate, Klaus Mäkelä. I've raved a bit about Mäkelä in other posts, especially when I heard him conduct Mahler 4 last year in Aix en Provence. I think he really has the goods, although the fact that he's still only 29 has caused many to doubt his ability to last the distance when he's had so much success so early. (Read the Wikipedia entry on him; it's astonishing.)

This performance of Mahler's massive homage to love was definitely a young man's performance; I don't think I've ever heard Part One so fast and so driven. But it worked, although there was one moment I thought it was all going to come off the rails. Part Two was incredible, moving and passionate, and the result of the whole was seriously impressive.

The orchestra (augmented to at least 100 from what I could see) was joined by numerous choirs and eight brilliant soloists.

Tomorrow night it's Mahler 9, while on Sunday night we end with the first movement of the unfinished No 10 and The Song of the Earth. Both concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic...

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