Pittsburgh Symphony Performs Haydn, Danielpour, and Strauss in Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH, PA — During a weekend visit to Cleveland (more to come on that), I had time to drive two hours south on Sunday to see the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra give their third and final performance of a wide-ranging program including a Haydn symphony, a paean to Iran by Richard Danielpour, and Richard Strauss' best-known tone poem. It had been more than two years since I last saw the PSO, and I was eager to hear how they've evolved under conductor Manfred Honeck, now in his sixth year as music director.
On Sunday, they performed under guest conductor Christoph König, a Dresden native who is starting to make the rounds among the leading orchestras of Europe. The program started with Haydn's early Symphony No. 22, "The Philosopher"—a bright, cheerful work that served its purpose as an amuse bouche.
The timing of Danielpour's Darkness in the Ancient Valley, which was co-commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony, coincided with the news that the PSO is contemplating an invitation to perform in Iran this September. Danielpour, who is Iranian-American, says the work is a "secular liturgy," with much of the music rooted in Persian folk melodies and Sufi rhythms. As if to reflect the violence of Iran's recent history, there is also a good deal of brutality in Darkness, particularly the jarring second and fourth movements. The works ends with a battered wife's lament by the Sufi mystic Rumi, sung with penetrating emotion by soprano Hila Plitmann.
After intermission, König led the PSO in Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra, which settled in after its Promethean start into a respectable—if not particularly earth-shattering—performance. Still, there were some genuinely tender moments throughout, particularly by concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley, who in his third season seems to have taken command of his central role.
It was a bit disconcerting to see more than half of the orchestra seats in Heinz Hall empty, though a quick trip up to the balcony during intermission showed that seats near the top were nearly full. (C'mon people, haven't you ever heard of seat-jumping?) Seriously, though, the PSO would be doing their audience and their performers a favor to find a way to move some of those folks who can't afford top dollar for tickets downstairs. Or, better still, they should consider moving back to their original home: the slightly smaller Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland (not to be confused with that other Carnegie Hall.)
For those New Yorkers not inclined to visit the Steel City, the Pittsburgh Symphony will be visiting this May as part of the ultimate—as in last—Spring For Music Festival. Program and ticket info here.
More pics on the photo page.