PSO gives Corigliano spotlight
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The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will begin its 2007-08 season with no musicians on stage and end it with one of the larger works for orchestra and choir. In between, it will bring to light several works that have not been performed for years at Heinz Hall.
In the process, the PSO will bid goodbye to its leadership structure of a trio of conductors.
In a "reversal" of Haydn's famous "Farewell" Symphony, in which the players gradually exit the stage, John Corigliano's "Promenade" Overture begins with only a conductor. The entire orchestra then marches on stage as it plays the work. The PSO has named Corigliano its composer of the year and will open next season with this piece, although a gala concert will take place earlier with Andrew Davis and Marvin Hamlisch combining Broadway tunes with actress Kristen Chenoweth and operatic favorites with tenor Rolando Villazon. Davis will return to end the season with Brahms' mighty "A German Requiem" with the Mendelssohn Choir and soloists.
The theme coursing through the PSO's season will be the discovery and rediscovery of some orchestral gems. Several Brahms Hungarian Dances, Respighi's "Burlesque," Berio's "Folk Songs," Maderna's "Songs of Gaiety," Sibelius' "The Oceanides" and Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 4 will be heard for the first time on subscription.
But several others will be performed for the first time in many years: Barber's Essay No. 2 (last PSO performance, 1966), Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass ('70), Janacek's ('87), Mozart's Overture to "Clemenza di Tito" ('87), Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 ('89) and Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements ('85).
"You look at these things and say, 'How can you skip a piece like that?'" says Robert Moir, vice president for artistic planning. He, along with orchestra members and senior director of audience development Douglas Kinzey, make up the programming advisory committee that created this season.
New music also will have a strong showing. The PSO will give the world premiere of four pieces: Corigliano's Percussion Concerto (performed by percussionist Evelyn Glennie), Alan Fletcher's Clarinet Concerto (PSO's Michael Rusinek), Oliver Knussen's Symphony No. 4 (a co-commission with the Philadelphia Orchestra) and Andre Previn's Harp Concerto (PSO's Gretchen Van Hoesen), with Previn conducting.
"John Corigliano is one of the most important composers of our time," says Moir. "Five compositions by him are the most we have ever done by a composer of the year. It is a serious residency." Violinist Joshua Bell will perform Corigliano's Violin Concerto, "The Red Violin," from the composer's popular score to the film. Leonard Slatkin will conduct.
As for the trio of conductors, Tortelier will open the season, but Davis will shoulder the most concerts, including the Elgar Cello Concerto with the PSO's Anne Martindale Williams, Davis' own orchestration of three Bach choral preludes and the Brahms requiem. Janowski will conduct concerts of Brahms in November that will be recorded for the new PSO album on PentaTone. The new season also will see the first scheduled subscription concert conducted by concertmaster Andres Cardenes.
But all eyes and ears will be on a May 2008 concert weekend, when the orchestra's music director designate Manfred Honeck returns for the first time since his appointment was announced. His concert reflects his skills in new music, Viennese classics and opera: Fletcher's concerto, Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben" and Verdi's Overture to "La Forza del Destino."
The complete season schedule:
Sept. 15 Gala Concert. Conductors Andrew Davis and Marvin Hamlisch, singers Kristin Chenoweth and Rolando Villazon.
Sept. 28-30 -- Conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and pianist Alexander Toradze: Corigliano, "Promenade" Overture; Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1; Berlioz, "Symphonie fantastique."
Oct. 11-13 -- Conductor Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos: Wagner, excerpts from "Die Meistersinger von Numberg" and "Tristan und Isolde"; Beethoven, Symphony No. 5.
Oct. 19, 21 -- Fruhbeck, violinist Nikolaj Znaider and Mendelssohn Choir: Sibelius, Violin Concerto; Debussy, "Trois Nocturnes"; Ravel, Suite No. 2 from "Daphnis et Chloe."
Nov. 2-4 -- Conductor Marek Janow-ski and cellist Alisa Weilerstein: Brahms, Hungarian Dances; Haydn, Cello Concerto No. 2; Brahms, Symphony No. 4.
Nov. 9-11 -- Janowski and pianist Nikolai Luganski: Brahms, Symphony No. 3 and "Hungarian Dances"; Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4.
Nov. 23, 25 -- Conductor Gianandrea Noseda and pianist Yefim Bronfman: Respighi, "Burlesque"; Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3; Stravinsky, "Firebird."
Nov. 30, Dec. 1 -- Noseda and soprano Dawn Upshaw: Maderna, "Music of Gaiety"; Berio, "Folk Songs"; Respighi, "Roman Festivals."
Dec. 7, 9 -- Davis and cellist Anne Martindale Williams: Corigliano, "Phantasmagoria"; Elgar, Cello Concerto; Mozart, Symphony No. 39.
Jan. 11-13 -- Conductor Leonard Slatkin and violinist Joshua Bell: Barber, "Essay No. 2"; Corigliano, Violin Concerto, "The Red Violin"; Mussorgsky, "Pictures at an Exhibition."
Feb. 21-23 -- Conductor Marin Alsop and percussionist Evelyn Glennie: Tchaikovsky, "Romeo and Juliet" Overture-Fantasy; Corigliano, Percussion Concerto; Prokofiev, excerpts from "Romeo and Juliet."
March 7, 9 -- Conductor Andre Previn and harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen: Copland, Suite from "Appalachian Spring"; Previn, Harp Concerto; Beethoven, Symphony No. 4.
March 14-15 -- Davis and pianist Alfred Brendel: Sibelius, "Oceanides"; Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3; Bach, Three Choral Preludes; Stravinsky, Symphony in Three Movements.
April 3-5 -- Conductor Charles Dutoit and pianist Emanuel Ax: Debussy, "Jeux"; Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2; Janacek, Sinfonietta.
April 11-13 -- Davis and violinist Gil Shaham: Knussen, Symphony No. 4; Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto; Strauss, Suite from "Der Rosenkavalier."
April 18, 20 -- Davis and violinist Leonidas Kavakos: Corigliano, "Tournaments"; Prokofiev, Violin Concerto No. 2; Elgar, "Enigma" Variations.
April 25-26 -- Conductor Andres Cardenes and violinist Chee-Yun: Hindemith, Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3; Schumann, Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish."
All concerts at Heinz Hall, Downtown; tickets: www.pittsburghsymphony.org or 412-392-4900.
May 1-3 -- Tortelier and pianist Horacio Gutierrez: Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 4; Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor."
May 9-11 -- Conductor Manfred Honeck and clarinetist Michael Rusinek: Verdi, Overture to "La Forza del Destino"; Fletcher, Clarinet Concerto; Strauss, "Ein Heldenleben."
May 30-June 1 -- Conductor Pinchas Zukerman and pianist Benjamin Hochman: Mozart, Overture to "Cosi fan tutte" Piano Concerto No. 17 and "Haffner" Serenade.
June 6, 8 -- Conductor Louis Langree and pianist Garrick Ohlsson: Mozart, Overture to "La Clemenza di Tito," Piano Concerto No. 20; Shostakovich, Symphony No. 11.
June 13-15 -- Davis, soprano Nicole Cabell, baritone Lucas Meachem and the Mendelssohn Choir: Brahms, "German Requiem."
First Published February 11, 2007 12:00 am
