Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Jacob Joyce, conductor
Nicholas Myers, double bass
O’Reilly Theater
Pittsburgh, PA
July 18, 2024

Rossini: Overture to L’italiana in Algeri
Martines: Sinfonia in C major
Bottesini: Concerto No. 2 for Bass and Orchestra in B minor
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, Italian

Though the Pittsburgh Symphony falls short of performing a full summer season, Thursday evening’s Summer Shorts performance did much to satisfy one’s musical appetite in a particularly appealing program of music from or about Italy. Helmed by associate conductor Jacob Joyce, the PSO ventured across Penn Avenue to the O’Reilly Theater, an intimate, 650-seat venue home to Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Rossini’s overtures never fail to bring a smile to one’s face, and the overture to L’italiana in Algeri (one of the composer’s first full-length operas) certainly had that effect, right from its cheeky pizzicato opening. A limber oboe passage provided a lyrical highlight in this otherwise vigorous work, performed by the PSO with the highest of spirits.

Born to Neapolitan parentage, Marianna Martines spent her life in Vienna where she counted amongst her acquaintances Haydn and Mozart. Though a prolific composer, very few of her works were published during her lifetime, and tragically, many manuscripts were destroyed by a fire in 1927. Dating from 1770, the Sinfonia in C major proved an intriguing discovery. Cast in a three-part structure in accordance with the Italian overture form, the work exuded the charm and elegance of the Classical style and of her mentor Haydn, but written with the optimism and self-assurance of a very skilled composer.

The central section could perhaps have been given with greater contrast from the preceding, though the finale – a sprightly, almost danceable affair – offered a minor key episode to beguiling effect. Consider my interest in Martines duly piqued.

Typically relegated to the back of the orchestra, it’s a rare treat to hear the double bass front and center as the protagonist of a concerto. Appointed to principal bass in 2022, this counted as Nicholas Myers’ PSO solo debut. Giovanni Bottesini was a virtuoso on the instrument, even becoming known as the “Paganini of the double bass,” and composed a significant body of work for it. In addition, he was an accomplished conductor, being the one to lead the 1871 premiere of Verdi’s Aïda in Cairo.

Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 for Bass and Orchestra was perhaps the most intriguing entry on the program. With little fanfare to introduce, the bass entered lyrical and resonant, its capabilities as a solo instrument on full display. Myers impressed in his virtuoso command of the instrument, from the wide leaps in the melodic line to the rapid-fire coda. An Andante was deeply songful, a sound that contrasted with the instrument’s unwieldy appearance, and the rollicking finale evidenced Hungarian influence. In future PSO seasons, perhaps Myers can be invited to lead an exploration of concertos for double bass?

Mendelssohn’s perennial Italian symphony was a fitting and satisfying close to the evening. Its sunny, inimitably Italianate textures were buttressed by Joyce’s sweeping gestures, purveying a bold sound even more apparent in the confines of the O’Reilly. Perhaps because of the Bottesini that prefaced, my ears were particularly attuned to the sextet of double basses, which as ensemble instruments were used to such clever effect in the Andante con moto. The penultimate movement served as an elegant processional before the finale, given a vigorous workout, punctuated by the infectious rhythms of the saltarello.