Q on M7!

In 35+ years of concert going, I have heard the Mahler 7th live a grand total of two times, a year or two ago with the Chicago Symphony and Daniel Barenboim in the lovely NJPAC in Newark, NJ, and last night, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst, in the even lovelier Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. In both of these two performances, the placement of the double bases was unusual (I have not seen anything similar in any performance of any other music). Instead of being placed on the far right side of the conductor, they were at left center of him. So my question is: Is this prescribed in the score?

Well, if it is, Franz Welser-Most doesn't believe in literalism.

The Cleveland Orchestra did the Mahler 7 the day before at Carnegie Hall, and there the vast hordes (9) of double basses were prominently arrayed all along the back wall. Ideally situated to provide artillery support against the cowbells invading from the left.

(Sadly, the live cow I was anticipating didn't show up.)

There was also a 2002 Saariaho piece ('Orion' (with a very nice middle movement). Only lukewarmly appreciated by the audience. (Saariaho may not be Ligeti, but the audience whoopings after the Mahler were in striking contrast with the at best polite noises (and at worst not even that - lots of people declined to applaud at all) following the new piece. Hmmm.)

Not at all. Probably pure coincidence. (And Mahler wasn't reticent about specifying orchestral placement when he felt it necessary - e.g., in the Urlicht movement of M2, he asks for a group of bassoons, horns, and trumpets to be seated near each other and as far to the rear of the stage as