In Thursday’s (2/4) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Andrew Druckenbrod writes, “The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra always performs music on a grand scale, but its 2010-11 BNY Mellon Grand Classics Season will tower in more ways than one. The season will contain two monumental works of the standard repertoire, the fifth symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler, and it will include Verdi’s potent Requiem, Brahms’ Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 and a festival of Tchaikovsky’s music. But the composer-of-the-year fits the description best, American doyenne Joan Tower. The PSO will perform six of her works including ‘For the Uncommon Woman,’ a clarinet concerto featuring principal clarinetist Michael Rusinek and a world premiere commissioned by the orchestra. Composer Alan Fletcher, who wrote a concerto for Mr. Rusinek last year, will write a Bassoon Concerto for the PSO’s principal Nancy Goeres next season. Music director Manfred Honeck will increase his presence at Heinz Hall next season, conducting 10 of the 21 subscription programs. … Mr. Honeck’s Beethoven cycle will continue with the Fifth and Sixth symphonies, and he again will offer his lighter Thanksgiving week concerts that focus on waltzes and polkas by the Strauss family.”
Photo by Noah Sheldon
Posted February 5, 2010
