Oxford Philomusica

Conducting a massive work such as Mahler’s 1^st Symphony is always a daunting task.

Mahler 1 (1st mov) 

It is not an easy work to bring off: the first movement can be elusive, requiring translucent textures from the orchestra and a tempo that allows the many florid passages to remain melodious. The numerous accelerations that the composer demands, need to be made ‘imperceptible’, as the score indicates, and that is another challenge that faces the conductor when asking the musicians to speed up.

Mahler 1 (2nd mov) Mahler 1 (3rd Mov) 

The rustic flavour of the 2^nd and 3^rd movements, in true Klezmer style, demands excess and my request to the Orchestra in the rehearsal that they should “leave their good manners at home” paid off! The lyrical Straussian sonorities of the last movement, in contrast with the bombastic outcries, are a dream for any conductor, particularly as played by the wonderful Philomusica players with sensitivity and full blooded passion.

This concert proved once again that the Sheldonian musical experience, by which the audience is enveloped by the wonderful sound the orchestra makes, is unique, and an asset we should be grateful for.

If you attended this concert, I’d love to hear from you.

Marios Papadopoulos