The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra brought two works inspired by Shakespeare to Heinz Hall last night.

Under the direction of Marek Janowski, the PSO captured the nuances and virtuosity of Hector Berlioz's "King Lear" and the ponderousness of Richard Strauss' "Macbeth." Janowski also welcomed violinist Arabella Steinbacher in her debut performance with the orchestra.

Both "King Lear" and "Macbeth" stem from their composers' early careers. Berlioz composed "Lear" in the months following his winning of the prestigious Prix de Rome prize and after abandoning an intricate murderous plot to kill his fiancee. With "Macbeth," Strauss was looking for a significant orchestral form for musical expression without relying on the staid symphony. Through the performances of these two pieces last night, the PSO audience caught glimpses of each composer's mature voice, albeit muted within each composition's respective subtleties and pitfalls.

Janowski, conducting under the auspices of the newly created Otto Klemperer Endowed Guest Conductor Chair, first brought "Lear" to the PSO in 1997 and is recording this weekend's performances for the PentaTone label. Berlioz's score is a virtuosic vehicle for the orchestra, and Janowski got the PSO to articulate its rhythmic, dynamic and episodic changes.

Unlike his later tone poems, Strauss did not assign a specific program to "Macbeth," which is actually a good thing because it allows a more abstract hearing of the work as a psycho-dramatic depiction of Shakespeare's tragedy.

Steinbacher's career has been on a meteoric assent since her debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in 2004. Her debut performance with the PSO proved she is worthy of the hype. Her rendition of Max Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy" was excellent. She brought a clear, lyrical and dynamic sound that Janowski had no trouble balancing with the full orchestra.

The program repeats at 8 tonight and 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.