The Middle Path

Since Gustavo Dudamel started making regular guest appearances with the Berlin Philharmonic, he has included several Mahler symphonies in his programmes – recordings of the Third and Fifth were released on the orchestra’s Mahler box a few years ago – and his performances have suggested a conductor for whom the vast, self-contained worlds of Mahler’s scores hold no particular threat. This is not to say he treats them casually; rather he is able to create an impression of having such a firm handle on the music that even its wildest, least-predictable moments emerge as part of a greater order. In performance, Mr Dudamel is able to conceal years of study and hours of rehearsal behind an ease of manner that can make the symphonies seem effortless.

If Mr Dudamel’s Mahler is often brilliant – and invariably accessible – there have been moments…