Last Saturday's Sheldonian concert continued the Oxford Philomusica's tribute to the Mozart anniversary in fine style, with a performance of all three of the last symphonies. The event made one wish that this excellent idea was realised more often; all three of these magnificent works were written in the space of two months (in the summer of 1788) and it is probable that Mozart never conducted or even heard them.

Marios Papadopoulos (pictured), conducting, rightly emphasised the amazing difference between the sound-world of each of these masterpieces. Most notable was perhaps the contrast between the stately E-flat, No. 39, and the tortured, anguished opening of the G minor, No. 40. True, the absence of trumpets and drums makes the latter very much a piece of chamber music, and Papadopoulos treated it as such my only quarrel with him is over the tempo of the first movement. This is very emphatically marked molto allegro, and I felt that this performance, like so many, was almost, but not quite, fast enough. Someone has pointed out that its rhythm is exactly that of Cherubino's aria Non so piu in Figaro, in which the boy restlessly expresses his passion for all women indeed for anything in a skirt. That should be sung lightly and very quickly; the G minor first movement is like a transposition of it into a tragic minor key.

Much to be admired, I thought, was the buoyant energy Papadopoulos brought to each of the slower movements, particularly the lovely Andante of the 'Jupiter', no. 41. He was helped throughout by wind playing of the highest quality, as is usual for this orchestra. And how spectacular the Jupiter sounds, with its full instrumentation, when heard immediately after the sparely scored G minor symphony. The performance gained impetus as it progressed the glorious finale is still ringing in my ears.

I recall the conductor Laszlo Heltay pointing out that the little rising phrase with which it begins is actually an old plainchant Credo, and it's hard not to feel, especially after a performance on this level, that in this last movement of his last symphony Mozart was embodying a profound assertion of belief.