Sir, - I attended the November 7th performance of Mahler's Symphony Number 2 at the National Concert Hall and thoroughly enjoyed it, as did almost all of the audience, to judge by their continuous applause and standing ovation. Most of us at the end of the concert were simply spellbound.
The audience may not be as musically expert as your critic, Michael Dervan. Admittedly this is not Berlin, Vienna, Chicago or New York with their world famous and hugely endowed orchestras. This is Dublin, where a comparatively under-resourced, albeit vastly improved orchestra gave me and all within my hearing considerable pleasure.
I, through ignorance or otherwise, did not consider the performance, as described by your music critic, to be marred by the conductor Kasper de Roo's insensitivity, wilfulness or lack of tempo.
Do it again next year, Mr de Roo, when all of us, well maybe with the exception of one, will come to listen and applaud. - Yours, etc.,
Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.