Weekend Hot List Feb. 2-5
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Biblical inspiration
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra gets biblical this weekend.
Before music director Manfred Honeck leads the orchestra, the Mendelssohn Choir, baritone Thomas Hampson and soprano Chen Reiss in Brahms' choral masterpiece "A German Requiem" (the name referring to the fact that it is in German and not Latin), he will introduce patrons to Dvorak's "Biblical Songs." Although the Czech composer wrote these 10 songs in America on his famous extended stay, they are seldom sung and have never been performed by the PSO.
"He said that '[these are] the best of the songs I have written,' " says Mr. Honeck of the short songs set to Old Testament text, which Mr. Hampson will sing. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Hall, Downtown. Tickets start at $20; 412-392-4900; www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
'Voyageur' tour
After three albums, Kathleen Edwards was ready for a change.
"I really get that some people like the roots-rock, storytelling thing that I was doing, and I'm proud of that," she recently told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "But I was ready to bite off a larger piece of the musical apple."
The Canadian singer-songwriter takes that bite with "Voyageur," a new album that sees her moving out of her marriage to guitarist Colin Cripps to a new relationship with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who served as producer. As expected, he's brought some new atmospheric touches to her rootsy Americana rock.
It should be interesting to see how that plays out when she performs Saturday at the Rex Theatre.
The Chicago Tribune wrote of a recent show, "Backed by a superb quintet, the modest vocalist displayed a steely focus and unwavering seriousness occasionally at odds with her normally outspoken, amicable persona."
It begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25; 1-877-435-9849.
Johnny uplugged
Southside Johnny will pull into Moondog's on Saturday, but it won't be with the Asbury Jukes.
While that band is putting the finishing touches on a new album, the singer is on the road as Southside Johnny and the Poor Fools, with an acoustic band featuring Billy Joel guitarist Tommy Byrnes, Jukes bassist John Conte, percussionist Jeff Kazee, Jukes trombonist and multi-instrumentalist Neal Pawley and E Street Band violinist/fiddle player Soozie Tyrell.
First Published February 2, 2012 2:12 pm
