Beethoven was very sprightly (the limp, pathetic clapping between movements notwithstanding, but let's not lower ourselves to that level). What is the purpose of those scales at the start of the last movement? After these the last movement was very good (give or take), with rapid strings in thirds exactly in ensemble.

Das Lied von der Erde was very well done, I hadn't heard it live before. A real Heldentenor sound from the tenor. So much stamina. As a whole it complemented my mood at the time very well, and during Der Einsame im Herbst and Der Abschied I was on the very edge of tears, often simply because of the words, but the music as well -

I was impressed by the BBCSSO, but maybe the magic dust that accompanies appearances by favourite conductors had a role to play. The playing clearly didn't have the same magnetism for all in the audience, given the number of loud coughs during Der Abschied.

Ah yes, filling the hall...

There were at least 3 occasions when I thought Cargill was singing far too quietly for the sound to reach the gallery. I wonder how it came over on the radio.

I wondered that, too, Eru!

Were you there, or watching on TV?  I didn't see you in the queue or in the Hall.  In fact I recall asking David whether he'd seen you lately.

I loved most things about the performance (as already outlined over on TOP).  I was a little overcome during Der Abschied, got all shivery and had to sit down on the floor, though this might just have been tiredness.  I thought Cargill was wonderful, though I do find her vibrato can be quite intrusive especially when she is singing loudly.

I was very impressed with Karen Cargill, whose work I didn't know. Very committed, very beautiful moving singing - I could forgive the vibrato.

Ruth, i was there, though by that point i was not feeling very sociable at all (for reasons i can't go into). I was in the 4th row, and i'd been to wayne marshall's recital.       

I listened to the Mahler on LA, and I agree there was quite a bit vibrato present in moments when it seemed to diminish rather than augment the expressivity. But that aside I still thought they both communicated the poetry and anguish in the work really beautifully at times, especially Karen Cargill, and by the end of Der Abschied I was completely bowled over by the miracle of this music.

And I thought Donald Macleod sounded absolutely shattered as he quoted Britten's beautiful words at the end, as if he was struggling to keep it all together. In fact he hardly sounded like Donald Macleod at all (thinks ... maybe it wasn't D.M.) but whoever it was, I felt completely in sympathy with what I imagined him to be feeling.