Gustav Mahler

Last night we attended another splendid concert by the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. As usual, we were amazed at the spirit and precision of the performance -- both the high energy and seeming exactness with which the musicians played the complicated music. The visiting soprano and the orchestra worked harmoniously and enthusiastically in Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville Summer of 1915”, and Tom Green (who teaches music at Ledyard High School) performed with exuberance in a concerto for double bass. The highlight for both of us, however, was the Mahler 4th symphony, as sparkling and zealous a piece of music as I’ve ever heard. I was astonished at both the verve and methodicalness of the performance. Delycia and I are definitely not authorities on classical music performances, but we give the ECSO five big stars for their lively and precise performance last night.