The apocalyptic power of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra under Ingo Metzmacher was obvious from the first bar of Messiaen's Les Offrandes Oubliées. Instead of a serene meditation on the iconography of the crucifixion, the heart of this performance was a massive, violent outburst, with stabbing brass lines and chromatic string writing.

Drawn from all over Europe, the players represent the next generation of elite orchestral musicians. Their charisma and enthusiasm shines through every phrase, but the challenge for a conductor is to mould the playing into a coherent soundworld.

Accompanying violinist Leonidas Kavakos in Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Concerto Funèbre, Metzmacher drew impassioned playing from the strings, making a powerful case for this neglected work. Kavakos gave voice to the music's vivid lament, with its juxtaposition of folk melodies and acerbic dissonance.

Mahler's Fifth Symphony was more problematic. Metzmacher drove the opening two movements with unflinching concentration, yet was unable to sculpt the expressive shape of the music. Every climax was thrillingly loud, but when the major-key chorale made its appearance, what should have been a moment of victory and release was just another noisy peroration. It made for a viscerally exciting but emotionally unconvincing performance.

The finale careered energeticically, but at times it seemed all Metzmacher could do was sit back and let the orchestra make as much noise as possible.