There is no more appropriate work for the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester than Mahler's Fourth Symphony. The Fourth is Mahler's most vivid and profound exploration of childhood and, conducted by Ivan Fischer, the GMJO (made up of players from all over Europe aged 26 or younger) was nothing short of spectacular.
Fischer is one of those rare conductors who dares to re-examine every detail of the music he performs. From the very first phrase, this was an astonishingly complete interpretation. The opening reflected in microcosm the drama of the whole symphony, in the nostalgic echo of distant sleighbells, a voluptuous violin swoop, and a rustic, low-register melody.
Each individual moment was given a separate expressive identity. The entire first movement was a kaleidoscope of colours and perspectives: it was as if one were hearing the piece for the first time.
And the huge orchestra was perfectly responsive to every nuance of Fischer's conducting. Its sound rivals any of the world's great ensembles in depth and refinement, but it plays with a unique energy and immediacy. It was equally impressive in the grotesque imagery of the scherzo and the pastoral beauty of the slow movement.
Amanda Roocroft was the soprano soloist in the finale, Mahler's setting of a child's view of heaven, and her open-eyed wonder matched the orchestra's transcendent playing.
