Thomas Dausgaard officially takes the reins as music director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra with this interpretation of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1. Critics judge symphonies on their ability to handle Mahler's subtleties, grandiosities, and complexities, and Dausgaard knows his Mahler, so this program will be a good indicator of how well the orchestra and their (sort of) new conductor are jelling. Johannes Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto and Flounce by Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski will share the bill with Mahler. Flounce is full of jagged melodies and surprising bursts of brightness, which will start the season off on a lively, optimistic note. by Rich Smith