A mixed Mahler's Ninth in Milan

By James Imam, 10 September 2015

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“Horns melted through the butter without a hint of vanity...”

Reviewed at Teatro alla Scala, Milan on 8 September 2015

Mahler, Symphony no. 9 in D major

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Zubin Mehta, Conductor

Israel Philharmonic makes long awaited Elbphilharmonie debut

Mengguang Huang, 3rd November

The Israel Philharmonic’s debut at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie showcases Lahav Shani’s elegant precision, Martin Fröst’s vivid virtuosity and Paul Ben-Haim’s rare symphonic voice, culminating in radiant musical unity.

****1

Lahav Shani and the Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 16th October

From Bernstein’s private elegy to Tchaikovsky’s tempered affirmation, the Israel Philharmonic offers an evening of reflection, discipline and quiet radiance.

****1

Lahav Shani leads the Israel Philharmonic back to Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 14th November

After a three-years hiatus, the orchestra returns to New York, with violinist Gil Shaham playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto before an assured Prokofiev Fifth Symphony.

****1

Russian fire and French nightmare in Jūrmala

Roy Westbrook, 25th August

One of the great performances of a concerto which gets so many performances.

****1

Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic in Jūrmala

Roy Westbrook, 24th August

Jan Lisiecki's leap-in with the Israel Philharmonic offers extra spontaneity in Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto.

*****

A cursory Mahler 3 from Zubin Mehta and the IPO

Vishnu Bachani, 8th November

In a work as complex and multifaceted as Mahler’s Third, plumbing the depths of the music is not a trivial task. Mehta and his orchestra shone in moments but not uniformly across the symphony.

**111

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James Imam

James Imam is an arts journalist writing for publications including The Financial Times, The Times, Musical America and Opera magazine. He grew up in Manchester, read anthropology at Cambridge and has since lived in Milan. As a once-aspiring countertenor he has an abiding interest in Baroque music.

A mixed Mahler's Ninth from the Israel Philharmonic in Milan