Being a huge fan of all Beethoven works, I was gravely disappointed by the performance of the 5th. There were several measures which sounded “mushy” at best, as if the entire section hadn’t rehearsed together yet (violins especially). Muti’s interpretation of how the horns fit in left much to be desired – he even seemed to de-emphasize the horns, to some extent. Very disappointing.

As for Mahler, I’m at best a temperate fan. Still, the performance was even mushier. The opening measures, while admittedly difficult to play at such a quiet level, were barely tolerable. From there, my disappointment grew. The percussion section was the only redeeming aspect of the work. The timpani were exceptional.

Needless to say, I’ll skip the next Chi Symphony performance in Ann Arbor, and especially maestro Muti. Thank goodness the NY Philharmonic will have residency for the coming several years!