Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"
Steven Stucky: Silent Spring

This 'live' performance by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Manfred Honeck of the iconic Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral" by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), is nothing if not light-footed and yet muscular, airy and yet intricately detailed, naïvely good-natured and yet deeply expressive. Could it be that they've hit upon its spiritual nucleus. Its Elysium. After all, in my opinion, this is when Beethoven freed himself from the shackles of classical convention and set upon uncharted musical paths.

Here, the upbeat rhythmic pulse of the opening movement, along with Honeck's highly malleable dynamic shadings, really do lend the symphony it's jovial character. As well, the kind of cyclical perpetual motion Beethoven sets loose at the 4:48 mark is well projected in this account, as it invokes anticipation. The orchestra members really get into the rustic, knee-slapping aspects of the Scherzo movement and those horns, simply amazing. The thunderstorm that follows does seem to catch the revellers by surprise as they quickly scatter, and that first thunderclap will surprise you as well if you've got the volume cranked up too high. And I've never heard the quivering cellos and double basses sound so good, as well as how powerfully a tiny piccolo can project itself. And the Pittsburgh string players outdo themselves in the glorious final movement.

Silent Spring by American composer Steven Stucky (1949-2016) certainly is a highly dramatic and powerful musical statement wrapped around an environmental statement, in the form of a tone poem laid-out over four sections. The third segment titled Rivers of Death certainly packs an auditory as well as emotional wallop, which impresses by its audacity. Overall, this new work commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra which had its world premiere performance back in 2012, stands very well on its own. But in my opinion, so I will let you be the judge of that, it doesn't quite jive with the Beethoven. According to the booklet notes these two pieces were not programmed or performed together, so I don't quite get the PSO board's logic to pair them together on this CD, although I do understand that sometimes to promote something new you have to combine it with something popular in order for the fish to bite. An Overture by Beethoven or a piece by one of his contemporaries would have been a better fit but hey, you can decide that for yourself. Fortunately the Beethoven alone is well worth the price of admission.