What does a truly full and sonorous violin tone sound like? The answer lies at the start of the symphony. The bows seem to be of infinite length. No break interrupts this 41-second-long phrase. A true lesson in legato !

This passage is a good example of the multiple ways in which the conductor creates a crescendo. Usually, he depends upon the basses for the increase in volume. Here, we have the opposite. It is the violins that lead the crescendo.

A true haven of peace, this passage gives the conductor the opportunity to ‘play’ with the tone of his orchestra. Horns, woodwind and strings take turns with exemplary unity.

Transitions between two passages are one of the conductor’s major strengths, as can be heard here. The transition is led imperceptibly by the pizzicato strings, which go from dramatic accents into the purest lyricism.