Pairing early Mozart and blockbuster Mahler on a stage unmistakeably dominated by male musicians, the second instalment of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra’s two-concert Barbican residency was untouched by its coincidence with International Women’s Day. Presumably there are complex reasons why female musicians remain such a minority in this orchestra. In that of all contexts, novelty programming as an annual exception would do little to improve matters.
So it was business as usual – and a reminder of just how good that can sound from the ensemble named Orchestra of the Year at last year’s Gramophone Awards, under its chief conductor Semyon Bychkov.
