A performance of an Austrian symphony with a Russian conductor and soloists from Germany and Denmark offered little opportunity for golden jubilee flag-waving. Yet it was an appropriate choice for celebrating something's longevity. Mahler's second symphony, the Resurrection, can be one of the most life-affirming works you'll hear, even though the text at the climax of the choral finale - "Sterben werd ich, um zu leben" ("I shall die, so as to live") - amounts to a fearless acknowledgement of mortality. It was a shame that, on this occasion, this mammoth work did not quite come off.

It wasn't entirely Vladimir Ashkenazy's fault that the first movement didn't open with as much atmosphere as it might - the sound of someone being forcibly removed from the auditorium created a feeling of tension. But he can take responsibility for some pedestrian tempos and for letting what is usually a very classy orchestra get away with sloppy playing. The brass especially were not on form, with some poor intonation; the beginning of the fourth movement was better tuned, but Birgit Remmert's warm, burnished mezzo deserved a more magical introduction.

Still, Ashkenazy can draw a luscious, elastic sound from the strings, and there was plenty of colour in the Scherzo, as the theme was handed from wheeling, strident clarinets to reticent strings and then all around the orchestra.

In the finale, Inger Dam- Jensen's gleaming soprano complemented Remmert's mezzo well, and the Philharmonia Chorus, singing from memory, put heart and soul into the final exhortations.

Earlier, the Philharmonia's Music of Today series of free contemporary concerts had showcased the Danish composer Poul Ruders, whose opera The Handmaid's Tale arrives at ENO next season. Two pieces from the 1980s were chosen, introduced by the composer and skilfully directed by Martyn Brabbins.

The first, Nightshade, was slight yet effective and evocative. The second, Corpus cum Figuris, was more satisfying; Ruders conjures up several other musical epochs with the barest of suggestions, dabbles in minimalism without getting bogged down, and in all creates a substantial piece from a tiny amount of musical material. Not jubilee material, perhaps, but very much worth hearing.