London comes last. Lorin Maazel spent the weekend “reprising” (in his own words) a project he had already taken to the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic: to revisit Brahms's symphonies yet again. Was this the grand climactic finale, then, or the last weary leg?

It all began somewhat inauspiciously with a technically flawless (there is no baton like Maazel's) but disengaged performance of Brahms's Symphony No 3. No surge of energy coursed through the opening phrases, and the slow movement almost stopped in its tracks. Maazel's body language seemed to say that he was happy to take pride in the Philharmonia's playing and let everything fall into place.

There was more to admire in their performance of the Fourth Symphony. Here Maazel's determination not to let too many Brahmsian expressive fuses blow too soon did create a balance of rigour and relaxation, a sense of space for the final passacaglia's variations to find their true energy and passion. Maazel revealed the coherence and craft of the symphony and his players responded with respect.

Later in the day, a slick performance of Brahms's so-called Haydn Variations provided an overture to the German Requiem. Here Maazel's clarity of direction and long-sighted view of the work drew the best from a rigorously trained Philharmonia Chorus.

Theirs was the might and the power to move: in the easeful breathing of the opening blessing for those who mourn, and on to the powerful shifts of tempo and pacing as they sang of withering grass and fading flowers.

The soloists were disappointingly and bafflingly cast. Simon Keenlyside cannot fail to give his all, but in terms of vocal colour and temperament, this isn't his piece. And Heidi Grant Murphy's tremulous soprano was not up to the demands of even a brief appearance. Let's hope that a revisiting of Maazel's own music in 2009 will yield rather more than his less than thrilling rendezvous with Brahms.

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