Mahler Chamber Orchestra Essentials

Founded by Italian maestro Claudio Abbado in the late-‘90s, this ensemble bring a Mahlerian pensiveness and weight to Mozart’s mighty Don Giovanni, K. 527 Overture and Beethoven’s triumphant Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4. In G Major. The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is especially spirited in playing music by its namesake composer, pitting sprightly melodies against hefty, frequent shifts in mood. It all comes together in the ensemble’s approach to Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (alongside provocative pianist Daniil Trifonov), where their readings come across as heavy, but with a feathery freedom in their quiet moments.