N.Y. Times lukewarm on PSO's concert
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American orchestras tour to New York's Carnegie Hall for the same reason movie and TV stars flock to talk shows that shoot there: promotion and stamps of approval.
While Carnegie Hall is one of the nation's best acoustical spaces, it is the city's position at the center of the nation's classical music scene that attracts orchestras. A few rave reviews here by the raft of media can bring more prestige than a hundred from a local critic and set an organization on a more successful path.
For the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the stakes were especially high for its performance in Manhattan Tuesday night. Lately, Carnegie Hall had been snubbing the orchestra. After a decade of yearly visits during the tenures of Lorin Maazel and Mariss Jansons, the PSO's last appearance was in December 2006 with Andrew Davis on the podium. Carnegie Hall did not book the orchestra during its period of having a trio of conductors instead of a music director.
In large part, the hiring of conductor Manfred Honeck as music director led Carnegie Hall to bring the orchestra back, although having famed violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist in Brahms' Violin Concerto didn't hurt. The PSO needed to prove its new artistic partnership is of the same stratospheric quality as previous ones, giving an electric performance to affirm the booking and secure future ones. Indeed, the venue's 2010-11 season, just announced, does not include a PSO date.
Add to this that the PSO programmed Mahler's Symphony No. 1, a work it has recently recorded, and was facing a packed house, and the challenge was laid out clearly to all involved.
"Lorin Maazel ... Andre Previn and Mariss Jansons -- they took the orchestra to important places in the world. To bring it back to this prestigious and world-famous hall means something special," says Mr. Honeck.
While there are several important publications in New York City, there is one whose evaluation means the most in classical music, The New York Times. The newspaper sent its chief critic, Anthony Tommasini, to the concert, a sign of respect. But his pronouncement was mixed in a review that ran Thursday.
First Published February 12, 2010 12:00 am
