The unalloyed enthusiasm of Sinfonia Cymru's young professionals and students is infectious, and their common purpose and dedication to conductor Gareth Jones create an atmosphere quite unlike any other. The sinfonia's freshness and clarity were ideal for Mahler, and the Fifth Symphony was performed with an unflinching directness and vitality.
The dilemma of how to preface the symphony is often resolved by programming Mahler songs that similarly connect to Des Knaben Wunderhorn, the great German romantic collection that so often inspired him. Jones's imaginative alternative was to offer Robert Schumann's Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra and, in the few bars' rest, the delight on the faces of the soloists - David Pyatt, David McClenaghan, Angus West and Jonathan Lipton - suggested four boys allowed to play with magic, and pretty complex magic it was too. This work is rarely performed live, and its exuberance and seat-of-the-pants virtuosity reveal why. But the very German romanticism, the huntsmen and forest glades conjured as vividly as its melodies and expressed in Schumann's sometimes rough and ready but often highly sophisticated textures, made for an illuminating connection with Mahler.
This spring has seen a veritable Mahler-fest in Cardiff, with Sinfonia Cymru competing fearlessly on territory otherwise commandeered by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, whose Mahler Nine is still to come. Jones's interpretation of the Fifth Symphony underlined its contemplative and lyrical qualities rather than its histrionics, making this a thoroughly integrated performance.
The first two movements complemented each other well, and the Scherzo's succession of waltzes and Ländler was animated and graceful. The Adagietto was fluid, the strings achieving a lustrous sheen and, in the repeat of the main theme, a gentle poignancy quite different from the opening. Jones trusted his players enough to be able to observe Mahler's instruction to begin the finale without a break. This was hedonistic, exalted stuff. With principal trumpet and first horn taking well-earned bows, it was certainly a great night to be a brass player.
