Mozart’s Symphonie g-moll was the most interesting and a favorite of mine when I saw the Mahler Chamber Orchestra perform it at the Wiener Konzerthaus. The ensemble had very unique instrumentation. It was hard to feel indifferent to any concerts that I saw in Vienna. This performance was very unique in the fact that it was welcoming and could make anyone feel at home.
The doors opened and concert goers gathered to see the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Musicians take the stage and the audience welcomes them with applause. The string players enter, but an unexpected arrangement of wind players of two oboes and two french horns take their position in the back row. The brass and woodwind sections leave the audience wondering and bring out for the second half one flute two oboes, bassoons, clarinets and two french horns. Along with the same string section from the first half, the orchestra is now ready to perform Mozart’s Symphonie g-moll K 550.
The addition of the instruments is a phenomenal way to end a concert, and give a master work the appropriate layers of sound and color to the music. The piece begins by being very passionate with a conversation between the flute and bassoon, followed by a gorgeous horn solo feature. Phrases diminished to piano and rose back up to forte and were repeated several times, adding to the delicacy of the piece. The second movement really emphasized the layers of the ensemble. The layers of the instruments and dynamics were so distinct, and audience member could almost taste them, like layers in a cake. Although such layers were sweet and enjoyable, suspense was building up towards the ending.
A waltz-like feel ended the piece almost as if a couple were having a conversation, almost argumentative. Intensive phrasing and rapid changes of dynamics represented the heated points of the conversation. Slow, legato, piano phrases were symbolic of the happy memories that were being looked back on.
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