Lorin Maazel ended his first year - a decidedly controversial year - on the podium of the New York Philharmonic last week with much ado about much. Also with a mighty bang.

Actually it was a long series of carefully plotted, painstakingly differentiated, skilfully executed, oddly anticlimactic bangs, all on behalf of Gustav Mahler. And gilding the repetitive lily, Maazel chose some tawdry-craftyersatz Mahler to open the valedictory: Aaron Jay Kernis's Simple Songs.