Marie and I had the greatest pleasure this past Wednesday to take in Kent Nagano's first indoor concert of the season featuring Mahler's Fifth Symphony at the Salle Wilfred-Pelletier in Montreal's Place Des Arts. It was a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Austrian composer and conductor. Lots of brass - trumpets, trombones and French horns - and strings made the first movement a delight, the second and third moving into what I'm sure most people, including myself, had come to hear: the beautiful Adagietto. It brought tears to my eyes and I think I was the first person on my feet after the rousing finish soon after! Prior to the symphony violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter presented two works written for her by Henri Dutilleux and Sophia Gubaidulina - interesting but not our particular favourite. All in all though it was our first taste of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and well worth the price of the tickets! Bravo maestro Nagano! gws
