Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck - world class performance

[Stanfordian]

I wonder if anyone has come across the phenomenon where an orchestra’s playing is so exceptional that you couldn’t imagine it being bettered and the experience has stayed with you for ages.

In the last 12 months or so I have attended concerts by many the world’s finest orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic; Staatskapelle Dresden; London Symphony Orchestra; Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra; Bavarian RSO; Concertgebouw; Philharmonia; Munich Philharmonic; Bavarian State Opera Orchestra; New York Philharmonic et al.

However, there has been nothing better than hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck playing Mahler Symphony 5 at the Philharmonie in September as part of the berlin musikfest 2011. The playing of the Pittsburgh Orchestra was so elevated in standard it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I felt so emotionally and physically drained after the performance concluded that I didn’t want to move for what seemed like an age.

[Ventilhorn]

I wonder if anyone has come across the phenomenon where an orchestra’s playing is so exceptional that you couldn’t imagine it being bettered and the experience has stayed with you for ages.

However, there has been nothing better than hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck playing Mahler Symphony 5 at the Philharmonie in September as part of the berlin musikfest 2011. The playing of the Pittsburgh Orchestra was so elevated in standard it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I felt so emotionally and physically drained after the performance concluded that I didn’t want to move for what seemed like an age.

Was this performance broadcast on Radio 3?

VH

[Stanfordian]

I've just found the whole Berlin performance of the Mahler 5 is available on the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's website. Here is the link:-

http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pghsymph.nsf/web/berlin.html

[Chris Newman]

I was about to say you can get it on the Arte Live website too. Here is the link:

http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/Le_Pittsburgh_Symphony_Orchestra_joue_la_Symphonie_n__5_de_Gustav_Mahler/

It was a fantastic concert, as was the Prom performance the night before.

I recommend Arte Live to anyone who wants to watch concerts and operas from all over Europe. Go to their Home Page and bottom right is a yellow panel Dernière chance. Click on the words Découvrez ou redécouvrez ces concerts avant qu'ils ne disparaissent définitivement. and you will get pages of television concert downloads. It's free. Here's a link to the Home Page:

http://liveweb.arte.tv/front.do;jsessionid=FF80B48B958F4E486675D67797ECAE4D.tc6l?method=getHome

[bluestateprommer]

I've just found the whole Berlin performance of the Mahler 5 is available on the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's website. Here is the link:-

http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pg...eb/berlin.html

For SL and others, if you want to send them a note of thanks, you can post at this blog entry:

http://blogs.pittsburghsymphony.org/2011/09/pso-2011-euro-tour-mahler-sym-5-in-berlin/

[Osborn]

For me their 2 concerts were the the pick of the Proms. I'm not a Mahler or Tchaikovsky fan at all but I was gobsmacked by the lustre of strings, really metallic powerful brass, confidence & control in the 5th symphonies & Lohengrin prelude - our home grown orchestras often drive me round the twist - they're so samey & competently mediocre by comparision with the top US & European ensembles. Rihm's Gesungene Zeit sensationaly played by A-S M completed an eye-opening visit. Nearest for electricity I can think of is Cleveland/Szell.

[gedsmk]

It was an amazing week, actually. The Tchaikovsky was good but the brass were too loud. Jansons with the same band a decade earlier led a more balanced performance that was just as exciting if not more so. The Mahler was something else, however: quite brilliant in all departments. I must presume the principal trumpet player is world famous among members of his craft? It was also a sheer pleasure then to hear the Philadelphia's strings in Ravel's La Valse a couple of days later. Cannot wait for next year and I hope they come back!