Nelsons brought off the Overture to Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman” as the dazzling orchestral showpiece that it is, and led a well-paced, compelling account of the Mendelssohn.

“In Mahler’s “Blumine” and Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony, the brass playing rang out with sylvan elegance, and the winds were impeccably smooth and blended. But what impressed most was the tonal refinement and glowing presence of the GHO strings. These same players also perform routinely at the Leipzig Opera and in weekly performances of the Bach Cantatas, and these experiences surely contribute to the deep coherence in their sound. Bodies sway with the flow of the music, and these musicians — from the very back of the sections to the front — display an unmistakable investment in the performance at hand. There is no dissipation of energy onstage. The effect is closer to chamber music.