It’s rare to hear a true pianissimo at an orchestra concert, but the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra cello section opened Friday’s concert with such a nebulous caress the sound seemed to emanate from the air itself, dal niente — from nothing.
PSO music director Manfred Honeck marshaled the combined might of the PSO, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, director) and four soloists to deliver a breathtaking, gripping account of Verdi’s “Requiem,” composed to honor the passing of Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
Upon learning of Manzoni’s death, Verdi wrote: “With him ends the most pure, the most sacred, the highest of our glories.” He infused the memorial “Requiem” with a similar passion — It is one of the composer’s greatest achievements, a tightly constructed paean to a literary master, replete with music that celebrates, laments, ponders, judges, comforts and sanctifies.
The concert’s beginning was exquisite, but the ensembles quickly topped themselves; the second movement, the “Dies Irae,” was pure adrenaline, the musical equivalent of jamming a knife into a toaster. Each time this music returned the Mendelssohn Choir seemed to lean into the part, turbocharging the music with an infectious, lusty enthusiasm.
Mr. Honeck kept the musical forces balanced overall, although the brass occasionally overwhelmed the hall (particularly in the “Rex Tremendae”). Orchestra and choir alike commanded a vast dynamic range and emotional scope, from the bright triumph of the “Sanctus” fugue to the sweet pathos of the “Lux aeterna.”
The weekend’s vocal soloists — Simona Saturova (soprano), Kate Aldrich (mezzo soprano), Konu Kim (tenor) and Jan Martinik (bass) — matched the fervor of the larger ensembles and delivered Verdi’s melodies with poise and polish. Mr. Kim’s first solo entrance was a touch over-accented, and Ms. Saturova’s higher tessitura sounded a bit tight at times, but otherwise the quartet gave a fine performance. Mr. Martinik in particular reveled in the lush textures of Verdi’s music.
This concert repeats Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. $20-$99; pittsburghsymphony.org.
Jeremy Reynolds: jreynolds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1634; twitter: @Reynolds_PG. Mr. Reynolds’ work at the Post-Gazette is supported in part by a grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Getty Foundation and the Rubin Institute.
First Published: April 28, 2018, 4:00 a.m.
