Expectations were way too high; I was bowled over by Currentzis’s coruscating Tchaikovsky Pathétique but Mahler’s most modernist symphony – its most apt coupling in concert is Berg’s Three Pieces – hardly needs the super-heated treatment. Follow the score faithfully, paying attention to Mahler’s minutely detailed instructions – by the letter (Boulez) or the spirit (Bernstein) – and you will find as much expressionist drama a sensitive soul can bear for 90 minutes.

As a demonstration of state-of-the art collective orchestral virtuosity and fanatically drilled ensemble this is a thrilling ride, but at this exalted level it somehow failed to engage on the emotional plane – perplexing for myself who adores the piece.