Cleveland Orchestra

“An intensely physical conductor, Mäkelä seized on contrasts in the first movement (Mahler Symphony No. 5) and teased out inner lines glossed over in calmer readings. The second, too, he attacked with lusty vigor, while preserving a certain dance-like quality, and the standing ovation that immediately followed the performance was an apt response to a bountifully animated Rondo-Finale …”

Cleveland Plain Dealer, Zachary Lewis, 10 February 2023


“Mäkelä respected Mahler’s overarching tripartite structure, conceiving the first two and final two movements as contrasting pairs. Amidst the ferocity, hints of the magnificent chorale began to crystallize, at last shining through in vigorous brilliance, only to retreat back into the shadows but not without clear suggestion of the symphony’s ultimate trajectory.”

Bachtrack.com, Sam Jacobson, 14 February 2023


Programme:
Unsuk Chin: Spira – Concerto for Orchestra
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5