Bruckner Orchestra performs Beethoven and Mahler in Vienna

On a sweltering Saturday evening, the Bruckner Orchestra took refuge in Vienna's Musikverein, performing Ludwig van Beethoven's First Symphony and Gustav Mahler's Ninth. The concert attracted a considerable audience, suggested by the enthusiastic applause after each movement. Beethoven's First Symphony, composed during his seven years in Vienna, is described as a classical work, less ambitious than Mozart's later symphonies and less refined than Haydn's, yet a successful blend of influences. The finale, with Beethoven's repeated attempts to ascend the scale, was likened to a "cat out of the bag" moment or a wind-up toy mastering a loop. Conductor Markus Poschner's interpretation involved progressively slower playing in the finale's buildup, though the overall performance remained robust and spirited. The first movement, while possessing the tonal weight of a large romantic orchestra, was kept lively by Poschner's direction.

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The flight into the Musikverein is not the dumbest thing one can do on such a hot Saturday evening.