"An opera man makes is mark in Mahler": Michele Mariotti and Orchestra Haydn at the Settimane musicali Gustav Mahler

"Mariotti showed what a good conductor can do. From the jingle-bells first movement opening, he drove the symphony at sustainable speeds, taking the tricky tempo changes with something like ease. In the great adagio he allowed the music to breathe organic mountain air. One could see the orchestra grow in coherence. The finale was beautifully integrated with all that had preceded it.

From behind, Mariotti resembles Christian Thielemann in elegance and authority. He understands Mahler from the perspective of an opera conductor – if the drama works, the rest will fall into place, or pass unnoticed. Tonight, it worked. This was an immensely enjoyable performance, the more so for its improvisatory character."

Norman Lebrecht, Slippedisc (see full article)