Philharmonic ends season on high note with Mahler

Works by Gustav Mahler "are like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Superman, rolled into one and on crack."

The remark, by David Itkin, conductor and musical director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, brought chuckles on Saturday. Then the orchestra blasted through a 50-plus minute performance of Mahler's "Symphony No. 1 in D Major" to show the comment wasn't far from the truth.

The evening also included a lilting "Concerto in C Major for Flute, Harp and Orchestra, K. 299" by Mozart, featuring the Philharmonic's Alexander Viazovtsev on flute and Kimberly Glennie on harp.

Mahler once said that a symphony "must contain everything," and this one practically does. Calling cuckoos, trumpeting from afar, a divine waltz, some Gypsy-style folk music, a funeral dirge, brightness, an inferno and a way to paradise -- along with some sophisticated tempos and some significant solos -- are just parts of this work.

Just when the musicians established a mood it was -- as it is supposed to be -- borne away with new attitudes, timing, timbre and temper mixes. Mahler insists: don't dally, don't contemplate, just move on.

This is not a piece for the casual musician, nor for the audience member who wants to be lulled to complacency. Itkin coaxed every nuance from the musicians.

Before intermission, Viazovtsev and Glennie took their places at the front of the stage for Mozart's concerto. The lightness, brightness and whimsy shine through even though, as Itkin and the soloists pointed out in their pre-concert remarks, this is a challenging piece for all.

The soloists played aptly and with experienced grace, whether separately or together, and with the orchestra (slimmed down to about three dozen musicians for this selection).

Themes and feelings were apt and ample before a charming, positive conclusion. After a standing ovation, Viazovtsev and Glennie returned almost bashfully for a quick encore from "La Boehme."

The philharmonic showed that it could end the season with a powerful offering, recognizing local talent and assuring that no one anywhere in the hall could coast through the evening.

That can only bode well for the next year of performances.