Pittsburgh Symphony celebrates Beethoven’s birthday with a series of concerts in the region
Edward DeArmitt
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is celebrating Beethoven无毛视频檚 birthday with a series of concerts, some free, throughout the Pittsburgh area.
Honeck
A 252nd birthday is not quite the milestone that a 250th birthday is, but the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) believes it无毛视频檚 still worth celebrating, particularly when the birthday boy is Ludwig van Beethoven.
To mark the occasion, the PSO is undertaking an ambitious series of concerts throughout the region celebrating Beethoven无毛视频檚 repertoire while, at the same time, bringing the orchestra to areas it wouldn无毛视频檛 typically be found and placing it in front of audiences that might not have been inclined previously to make the journey to Heinz Hall.
This week, the PSO has turned up at the Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh International Airport and the New Hazlett Theater on Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 Northside as part of a five-day 无毛视频渢our无毛视频� where it is playing Beethoven无毛视频檚 nine symphonies. All the concerts have been free. On Friday, the PSO is due to be at the Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead, where it will play Beethoven无毛视频檚 eighth and third symphonies, the latter being the 无毛视频淓roica无毛视频� symphony. On Saturday, the PSO will be returning to its home at Heinz Hall, where it will tackle Beethoven无毛视频檚 ninth symphony with the assistance of the Mendelsson Choir of Pittsburgh. This is the sole concert where there is an admission charge.
无毛视频淲e had all the plans in in place, the venues and the sequence and of course COVID intervened, which of course lasted longer than anybody could anticipate,无毛视频� said Mary Persin, vice president for artistic planning for the PSO.
She continued, 无毛视频淲e were determined to bring this idea to life. I think that无毛视频檚 what无毛视频檚 so magical about the project 无毛视频� these works were revolutionary in their day, they were forward-looking, they were inventive, they had universal messages.无毛视频�
Manfred Honeck, music director of the PSO, explained, 无毛视频淢usic is the best language and Beethoven is one of its greatest heroes. Beethoven was a visionary who set the standard for leading figures of classical music and dominated the evolution of how humans listen to and understand the power of music today.
The celebration won无毛视频檛 end with the performance of the Ninth Symphony this weekend, however.
A 16-concert series, 无毛视频淏eethoven In Your Neighborhood: The Library Project,无毛视频� starts next Wednesday at MuseumLab on Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 North Side. Also originally scheduled in 2020 but called off because of the pandemic, it was designed to celebrate both Beethoven and the 125th anniversaries of the PSO and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The series will have members of the PSO performing all 16 of Beethoven无毛视频檚 string quartets at 16 different libraries. It will go through Wednesday, June 29, and include libraries in McKeesport, Oakmont, the Hill District, Homestead, Homewood and other locations.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 meeting people in these communities and in these spaces,无毛视频� Persin said. 无毛视频淚nviting people in and meeting them where they are.无毛视频�
For information go online to www.pittsburghsymphony.org or call 412-392-4900.