LSO 2016 / 17: Mahler 6 / Simon Rattle / Barbican

Nobody underestimate how lucky we are to have the London Symphony Orchestra. Now we have an extra treat: our Boy Rattle is back in town.

There was a time when I wrote endless words to describe the experience of a concert. God only knows why anyone read those posts. They were a waste of everyone’s time.

This evening’s concert at the Barbican — Rattle conducting the LSO in a performance of Mahler’s 6th — reminds me of those previous efforts.

The problem with Mahler is that his music is impossible to sum up. The problem with the London Symphony Orchestra is that their playing is so good that to critique them seems churlish. And the problem with Rattle is that he’s a genius.

What that means is that writing about Rattle conducting the LSO in a performance of Mahler’s 6th is an impossible task.

It’s also a redundant one.

Why spend ages trying to encapsulate everything you experienced listening to something sublime? Why bother reinventing the wheel?

This was an breathtaking performance of an epic work. I cried. If you need any more proof you might as well just listen to it back.