Category: pittsburgh

A night of gorgeous singing at Pittsburgh Opera’s Cav/Pag double bill

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburgh1 Comment

Pittsburgh Opera
Antony Walker, conductor
Daniel Rigazzi, director

Rafael Davila, Turiddu
Eve Gigliotti, Santuzza
Marianne Cornetti, Mamma Lucia
Sebastian Catana, Alfio
Kimberly Anne Laret, peasant woman

Sebastian Catana, Tonio
Jonathan Burton, Canio
Fran Daniel Laucerica, Beppe
Caitlin Gotimer, Nedda
Ricardo Jose Rivera, Silvio

Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
Pittsburgh, PA
November 9, 2024

Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci

Though unrelated and quite distinct, Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci have become so inextricably linked that the epithet “Cav/Pag” is ubiquitous in the opera world to denote their coupling. Despite not intending to be paired, they make a satisfying whole, both exemplars of the Italian verismo tradition — and a welcome alternative to more well-worn operas of Puccini (though Pittsburgh Opera proved earlier this season that Tosca is always worth another listen). Saturday night’s performance at the Benedum marked Pittsburgh Opera’s first presentation of this double feature since 1996.

Alfio (Sebastian Catana) confronts Turiddu (Rafael Davila) in Cavalleria, all photos credit David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera

Cavalleria saw serene beginnings in the opening prelude, with arching strings and a lovely solo passage from the oboe. The first vocal appearance of the evening took the shape of a beguiling offstage serenade, with tenor Rafael Davila as Turiddu. The curtain opened to reveal a terra cotta tinted set, bringing to life a dense Sicilian town. As Santuzza, Eve Gigliotti offered a rich, honeyed tone with genuine feeling. Davila’s vocal instrument was emotive and flexible, blending well with Gigliotti in their duet. As Lola, Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Audrey Welsh provided a lighter, coquettish foil to Gigliotti. Sebastian Catana’s Alfio was of powerful projection, particularly effective in a fiery duet with Santuzza.

The Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra had ample opportunity to shine alone during Cavalleria. The Easter hymn was a particularly pensive statement, beginning gently, and swelling to a lushness enhanced by the Chorus. The singularly famous intermezzo was a standout moment, a passage of repose before the drama rapidly catapulted to its inevitably tragic end.

Unlike the inward beginnings of Cavalleria, Pagliacci opened in a blaze. The hapless Tonio (an excellent Sebastian Catana returning for double duty) opened with an introspective monologue in the opera’s Prologue, breaking the fourth wall in speaking to the audience directly. The curtain opened to reveal the same set from Cavalleria being repurposed, suggesting an interconnectivity that isn’t really there but works nonetheless.

Jonathan Burton was imposing as the boorish Canio; as Nedda, Caitlin Gotimer contrasted with a delicate and plaintive voice. Rounding out what was to my ears the stronger of the two casts was Ricardo Jose Rivera as Silvio: suave, and particularly effective in a passionate duet with Nedda, a quantity further enhanced by some lovely playing from the cellos in the pit. The iconic aria for Canio “Vesti la giubba” was given with genuine, affecting emotion, though one wanted perhaps even more.

A pensive intermezzo bridged the two acts, and the latter constructed a play-within-a-play, a conceit later used to great effect in Strauss’ Ariadne. Elegant, festive material was further highlighted by a colorful cast on stage that included acrobats and performers on stilts, reminiscent of the French Quarter scene from Puccini’s La bohème. Beppe’s (Fran Daniel Laucerica) serenade “O Colombina” was long-breathed and astutely phrased, pointing towards the opera’s darker ending. Canio broke character with the tragic force, and the final line “the comedy is over” brought the work to a crashing close.

Pagliacci’s play-within-a-play construct

Escher Quartet and Jordan Bak open Chamber Music Pittsburgh season

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburghLeave a comment

Escher Quartet
Jordan Bak, viola
PNC Theatre
Pittsburgh Playhouse
Pittsburgh, PA
October 21, 2024

Barber: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11
Price: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111

Opening the 2024-25 season of Chamber Music Pittsburgh was the New York-based Escher Quartet — an ensemble whose last local appearance was a streamed performance without audience during the covid lockdown. Euro-centric a tradition as the string quartet may be, the Escher’s program interesting opened with two American works, beginning with Samuel Barber’s youthful entry in B minor.

Escher Quartet with Jordan Bak, photo credit Chamber Music Pittsburgh

Terse, rapid gesture were given with singular intestity, interspersed with more lyrical material. The central Molto adagio would later become the iconic, standalone Adagio for Strings — and how fascinating it was to hear it in its original context, blanketed by contrasting outer movements. Far less saturated than the later expansion for string orchestra, it allowed one to better take note of its intricacies, particularly the melody for viola. The music grew to the impassioned, only to fade to somber quietude. Barber here was at his most neo-Romantic, sharply diverging from the stark modernism that opened. A brief finale followed without pause, at first recalling the gestures of the beginning, but then taking a life of its own in a brief but blistering coda.

The opening of Florence Price’s Second Quartet had a distinctive, recognizably American sound, balancing erudite sophistication with a certain down-to-earth abandon. A genial and gracious melodic line was tinged with folk tradition, and the slow movement that followed was a songful interlude, seemingly at peace with the world. A Juba movement is a device Price often used, and here it took the usual place of the Scherzo. Given without inhibition, bluesy harmonies and vibrant syncopations made for a delightful listen. The finale saw heightened drama, showcasing Price’s compositional skill with its coruscating counterpoint. An impressive close to the American half of the recital, and the Eschers served as strong advocates for Price.

Quartet then became quintet with the addition of violist Jordan Bak, affording the Pittsburgh audience the opportunity to hear Brahms’ expansive G major string quintet. The composer originally envisioned the work as his fifth symphony, and the vestiges of symphonic heft were evident from the grand sweep of the opening. A singing theme added contrast, with the addition of the second viola making matters all the more lovely. Bak blended well with the quartet, and the combined forces offered mastery of the work’s large-scale form.

A pizzicato bass line from the cello was a striking effect in the serene Adagio, as was a richly articulated melodic line in the first violin. The hesitating gesture in the penultimate movement gave it a certain autumnal quality, fitting for a work from late in the composer’s life, but the finale was a playful affair, hardly dour, with a bold and bracing finish fitting for a work of such proportion.

Pianist Tom Borrow joins Pittsburgh Symphony musicians for an evening of chamber music

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburghLeave a comment

Tom Borrow, piano
Justine Campagna, violin
Jeremy Black, violin
Tatjana Mead Chamis, viola
Anne Martindale Williams, cello
Strings of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
October 19, 2024

Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K304
Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40
Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

One of the Pittsburgh Symphony’s more enterprising endeavors is the PSO360 series, which engages the guest soloist from the weekend’s subscription concerts in chamber music with select PSO members. An intimate audience of 200 is seated on the Heinz Hall stage, circled around the performers, affording the opportunity to see another side of the soloist and orchestra players alike.

The soloist in question was the young Israeli pianist Tom Borrow, who made a strong impression in the performances of Ravel’s piano concerto that flanked Saturday’s chamber concert. To begin, Borrow teamed up with associate concertmaster Justine Campagna in Mozart’s E minor violin sonata. The only work in Mozart’s vast catalogue to be cast in that key, it’s a particularly deeply-felt creation, one that the program notes aptly compared to the A minor piano sonata (K310) for its expressive range.

Campagna was elegant and articulate, and Borrow responded in kind with sparkling, quintessentially Mozartian pianism. The development section was particularly emotive, and the minuet that closed the two-movement sonata was perhaps the most profound of all minuets, a rich conversation between violinist and pianist.

Grieg’s Holberg Suite brought out the Pittsburgh string section, and there was a visceral energy in being onstage with 20 string players, evident from the effusive prelude which opened. Peaceful, lyrical movements followed, swelling to a warm resonance, and I was especially struck by the clarity of the inner voices. Perhaps most affecting was the Air, songful and mournful — and a touching homage to Bach. The Rigaudon brought the suite to a close with joyous abandon.

Following intermission, Borrow returned with a quartet of strings for Dvořák’s great A major piano quintet. A graceful introduction in the piano paved the way for a lyrical cello passage (Anne Martindale Williams). The five players wove together a rich tapestry with a feverish intensity, yet at its core still as good-natured as the composer himself. An elegant piano gesture marked the Dumka, a wistful essay punctuated by gorgeous interludes.

There was a vivacity to the folk inflections of the Scherzo that could only put a smile on one’s face, and the finale continued in the highest of spirits — but not without a blistering fugato. Here as throughout, Borrow sounded like a seasoned collaborator with these Pittsburgh players.

Tom Borrow with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony

Pittsburgh Symphony’s Summer Shorts offers Italian delights

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburgh2 Comments

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.

Jacob Joyce and the PSO at the O’Reilly

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.

Vasily Petrenko and Pittsburgh Symphony deliver a gripping Manfred

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburghLeave a comment

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
June 2, 2024

Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S124
 Encore:
 Sousa/Horowitz: The Stars and Stripes Forever
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Op. 58

Under the baton of guest conductor Vasily Petrenko, the Pittsburgh Symphony presented a colorful selection of three contrasting works spanning the Romantic era. Matters began with the inimitably familiar Sorcerer’s Apprentice of Paul Dukas, a familiarity in no small part cemented by its appropriation in Disney’s watershed Fantasia. The tone poem began in suspenseful mystery, decorated with silvery, gossamer texturing. Haughty bassoons introduced the main theme, given with swagger and bringing to life Goethe’s titular poem. The work burgeoned to an overflowing urgency, made the all the more affecting by way of its iridescent orchestration.

Preconcert interview with Vasily Petrenko, moderated by PSO associate conductor Moon Doh

Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 introduced British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. Bellicose beginnings were furthered encouraged by the pianist’s steely-toned octaves, but the work wasn’t all fireworks and bombast, being interspersed with lyrical episodes often in dialogue with an orchestra member. The tone produced from the Steinway was bit too bright for my taste, though I’m not sure whether to point fingers at the pianist or the piano.

The ringing of the triangle marked the scherzo section, answered by Grosvenor’s stylish playing. The octaves returned at breakneck speed, pointing the way towards the concerto’s blistering end. An enthusiastic reception brought Grosvenor back for an encore in Horowitz’s transcription of Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. Thunderous bass octaves and intricate filigree in the upper register made for a fun close to the first half – and perhaps a suitable welcome to summer.

Though he didn’t include it amongst his numbered symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Manfred is one of his most significant orchestral works, chronologically falling between the Fourth and Fifth symphonies. Like the Dukas that opened, it too draws programmatic inspiration from poetry, in this case, Lord Byron. Nearly an hour long, it can be abstruse work to interpret, but Petrenko (who has recorded the work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) made a clear and compelling case for it. I would perhaps suggest a parallel with Liszt’s Dante Symphony heard earlier this season, hyper-Romantic, literary works scored for large orchestra, both perhaps a bit bloated but which nonetheless have much to say when given an incisive interpretation.

Lugubrious, tragic beginnings were had in the expansive opening movement, outlining a brooding main theme that swelled to great passions, depicting our Romantic hero. The Vivace con spirito that followed was lighter fare by comparison, with a central section lush and lyrical. Mercurial filigree in the high strings surfaced near the movement’s end to striking effect. The Andante con moto featured a songful oboe solo, a moment of peace amidst the tumult. The finale amounted to long, arduous journey in of itself. At the very end, the organ filled Heinz Hall for a remarkable moment of lavish orchestration, and the closing hymn led to a peaceful if somber resolution in evocation of Manfred’s death. While the Manfred Symphony might not be a masterpiece on par with the composer’s final three numbered symphonies, a performance like this nonetheless compels one to give it ample attention.

A devilish afternoon at the Pittsburgh Symphony

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburgh1 Comment

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Women of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Daniel Singer, director

Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
April 21, 2024

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
 Encore:
 Chopin: Mazurka in D major, Op. 33 No. 2
Liszt: Dante Symphony, S109

Sunday afternoon’s Pittsburgh Symphony performance began on a somber note, with a moment of silence in memoriam of Sir Andrew Davis, who served as the PSO’s artistic advisor from 2005-07. Music director Manfred Honeck offered a few words and dedicated the performance to Davis’ memory. On a personal note, I have fond memories of seeing Davis often during his two decade stint at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and caught him in robust form as recently as last June with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Leif Ove Andsnes with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony, photos credit George Lange

The first half of the program was devoted to Rachmaninoff’s fiendishly difficult Third Piano Concerto, calling upon Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist. A barren, monastic melody opened, direct and undiluted in its expression before complexities multiplied. Andsnes drew a bold and robust tone, amply projecting through the hall and over the large orchestra. The PSO was a fine partner to the pianist, with some particularly sturdy playing from the brass. Andsnes opted for the larger of the two cadenzas the composer supplied, cresting to a thunderous climax.

The opening of the central intermezzo offered a rare respite for the piano, a strained paragraph for strings and winds to introduce a ravishing melody in the piano, increasingly impassioned. The finale proceeded as an electric march, with a grand, sweeping melody at the heart. One was kept at the edge of their seat through the sparkling coda in this bombshell of a performance. Andsnes returned for an encore in Chopin’s D major mazurka (op. 33 no. 2), bringing out the dance’s stylish rhythms and ineffable charm.

Matters went from warhorse to rarity with the latter half seeing a rare outing of Liszt’s Dante Symphony, an extensive work the composer wrote moved by his reading of the Divine Comedy (and a companion of sorts to the better-known Dante Sonata). This weekend marked the belated Pittsburgh premiere of the work, though I’ve had the unexpected fortune of seeing it elsewhere over the last few years – Chicago (2017) and Columbus (2022). Two large movements represent the Inferno and Purgatorio respectively; not feeling music could adequately represent Paradisio, Liszt instead opted to close with a brief Magnificat that employs a female choir.

Low brass opened in an uncompromising descent to hell, with thundering timpani further conjuring the inferno in no uncertain terms. A bit overblown, perhaps, but Honeck and the PSO were strong advocates of the work and offered a compelling interpretation. A lyrical contrast was provided in material that represented Francesca da Rimini, conveyed by the bass clarinet and harp. With a certain inevitability, the movement was brought to a bleak, crashing close – with all hope duly abandoned.

Purgatorio was far more at peace in music that appropriately suggested a sense of stasis. A fine passage for oboe was a highlight, as well as a moving chorale for low brass – here, no longer a menacing force. The closing Magnificat offered a spiritual glimpse of the divine, with the angelic voices of the women of the Mendelssohn Choir coming from backstage. High strings and harp further conveyed the celestial in this closing hymn, a touchingly beautiful statement that Wagner no doubt looked towards when writing the final moments of Parsifal.

Daniel Singer leads the Women of the Mendelssohn Choir from backstage

Amidst program changes, Pittsburgh Symphony shines in Mozart and Schubert

On By Sam JacobsonIn pittsburghLeave a comment

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lorna McGhee, flute
Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
November 5, 2017

Mozart: Overture to Idomeneo, K366
Mozart: Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K313/285c
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major, D944, Great

Last weekend’s program at the Pittsburgh Symphony underwent several iterations before taking its final form, and it was a testament to strength of the musicians on stage how polished the end result came across nonetheless. Christoph von Dohnányi was originally scheduled to conduct, but was forced to withdraw all of his autumn engagements (which were also to include appearances with the orchestras of New York, Boston, Cleveland, and Chicago) while still recovering from a fracture suffered earlier this year. Dohnányi’s program was slated to open with Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, but when PSO music director Manfred Honeck stepped in, the Bartók was dropped in favor of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra. All was well until harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen had the misfortune of a hand injury, and the program was altered one last time to a Mozart overture and flute concerto.

Manfred_Honeck_c_Felix_Broede_MG_2748-small_300
Manfred Honeck, photo credit Felix Broede

The overture to the opera seria Idomeneo boasted a stately, regal opening, but soon took some unexpected chromatic excursions. This brief but rousing selection was given with a grandeur and a high-energy workout by the PSO. The Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major brought PSO principal Lorna McGhee into the spotlight, a gifted soloist whom I have previously enjoyed hearing serve on occasion as guest principal at the Chicago Symphony (see here and here).

The opening Allegro maestoso was of pearly balance and clearly delineated proportions, while McGhee’s limber flute passages were a graceful addition, always with an elegant attention to phrasing, and the cadenza showed her at her acrobatic best. The central slow movement featured the unusual inclusion of a pair of orchestral flutes, and McGhee responded to her colleagues in kind with a gorgeous, long-breathed melody. As for the concluding rondo, playfulness and joviality abounded in Mozart at his sunniest, leading up to its unassuming tongue-in-cheek ending.

The one constant of the program otherwise in the aforementioned flux was Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, to make for a weighty second half. Now in his tenth season as music director, Honeck has cultivated a remarkable rapport with the musicians, and this was quite apparent in the way the moving parts of this daunting work came together so seamlessly. A spacious opening in the trombones served as a gentle call to attention, and a burst of energy inaugurated the movement proper. Honeck took matters at a brisk pace (with total performance time only just passing the 50-minute mark), and opted for a tauter structure in jettisoning the repeat of the exposition. The proportionally brief development was highlighted by fine solos from the principal winds, and in due course the trombones returned to herald a triumphant coda.

A sumptuous song without words made for a memorable slow movement, notable for the intensely lyrical solos in the oboe. Music of more urgency offered some contrast and initiated a gorgeous, flowing theme chiefly in the strings with guest concertmaster Alexi Kenney at the helm. There was breathless vigor in the scherzo, countered by a more songful trio, and the finale was yet another high-octane affair – while it began perhaps a notch too loud, this zealousness did little to detract from the symphony’s bold conclusion.

_O1A8961
Lorna McGhee, photo credit Takuyuki Saito