Brahms, Brahms and more Brahms.
Too much Brahms.
Don’t get me wrong, nobody can write melodies like Johannes Brahms. But when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra takes a break from pops programming during the summer to perform a classical concert, as they did on Wednesday in Heinz Hall, must it be an all Brahms program?
Apparently it must.
The orchestra delivered fine performances of the Hungarian Dance No. 5 and the Symphony No. 1 in C minor. Plenty of passion, obvious affection for the works and that trademark PSO dynamism. PSO musicians Kelsey Blumenthal (violin) and Mikhail Istomin (cello) combined sounds to deliver a fervid interpretation of the first movement of the Double Concerto in A minor, their individual performances enhanced by moments of stunning chemistry.
Francesco Lecce-Chong led the orchestra in his last Pittsburgh appearance as associate conductor. Mr. Lecce-Chong will be missed for his infectious enthusiasm in his pre-concert talks as well as his skill with a baton.
Back to Brahms. A bit of familiar music from one of the great German masters on a Wednesday evening for $20 a pop is a safe bet from a marketing standpoint. Add in beer beforehand in the Heinz Hall outdoor garden and you’ll draw more of the young professionals that arts organizations everywhere are seeking.
I understand why the PSO programmed this concert. And it was a quite a good concert, a few imprecise entrances from strings and winds aside.
But where’s the risk? Where’s the reward? Brahms will always be one of my favorite composers, but Wednesday night’s concert felt formulaic, even stale. The orchestra’s most inventive series to date, the mash-up concerts of the short-lived Fuze series, have been discontinued until further notice. When will we hear another shake-up?
Next season includes only two new works among the familiar and the comfortable. One of PSO music director Manfred Honeck’s favorite quotes comes from Mahler: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” So where’s the fire? Next season is set in stone, but I would encourage the PSO to look beyond the routine.
I realize this was a fun summer concert, but what better place and time to experiment? This orchestra has a reputation around the country for conservative programming. That’s not a good thing.
The next classical performance is on Aug. 1 in Heinz Hall and includes music by Vivaldi, Rossini and Stravinsky on Aug. 1.
Jeremy Reynolds: jreynolds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1634; Twitter: @Reynolds_PG. Mr. Reynolds' work at the Post-Gazette is supported by a grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Getty Foundation and Rubin Institute.
First Published: July 19, 2018, 8:48 p.m.
